Western Electrical Contractors Association, Inc.

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Recap: WECA hosts and judges competitions at SkillsUSA CA State Conference on April 23

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Recap: WECA hosts and judges electrical wiring and industrial motor controls competitions at SkillsUSA California State Conference Electrical Wiring Competition on April 23











On April 23, WECA proudly sponsored and ran the electrical wiring competition and the industrial motor control competition at the SkillsUSA California State Conference Electrical Wiring Competition in Ontario, California. SkillsUSA is an organization which serves students, especially high school students, preparing for technical, skilled and service careers.

The conference had approximately 2,400 students in attendance. WECA instructors Jaron Stroud, Fernando Castro, and Neil Pesarillo ran the competitions, while Don Black, WECA Director of Apprentice Training, IT, and Facilties, and also a SkillsUSA California Board member, served as a judge for some competitions. Prior to this competition, instructors Jaron and Fernando also ran all six of the virtual regional electrical competitions in California.

“We had 15 high school students competing and two post-secondary students competing,” says Don. “The competition started early on Saturday morning with an electrical test, where each student is judged on their resume, uniform, and PPE preparedness. Neil, Jaron, and Fernando then held a brief orientation, and by 9 a.m. the contest was running. Each student is handed the same electrical diagram that they must build. The competition ended at 3 p.m. and the judging began. Fernando, Jaron, and Neil did a wonderful job representing WECA and the electrical trade while running and judging the competitions. We extend a huge thank you to our three stellar instructors for giving a significant amount of time to run these competitions.”

WECA and its instructors also received praise from a participant’s parent, with the parent stating that “I really appreciate you and the rest of the WECA staff (and the WECA resources) for making the SkillsUSA California State Conference Electrical Wiring Competition happen! It was so great to see the young people competing in the event. I’m honored and blessed that my son received gold in the competition. He is going to the National SkillsUSA conference in Atlanta in June.”

Instructor Neil Pesarillo also praised the program, saying “I was able to talk to a few parents and coaches/teachers of the contestants. They were very excited to have a contest, and their students were very professional and respectful. It inspires me to get involved each year. I would encourage others to research SkillsUSA and, if possible, volunteer some time for it.”

Great job Jaron, Fernando, Neil, and Don for representing WECA at the SkillsUSA California State Conference Electrical Wiring Competition and for investing time and expertise in developing the next generation of electricians!