I stepped into my new role as training director at the ETASV on May 8 of this year, but I’m not new to Local 332. I started the 332 inside wireman apprenticeship in 2011. Once I graduated in 2017, I ran work for Smith & Sons Electric as a foreman for several years.
Early on in my apprenticeship and going into journeyman and then foreman status, I recognized that to learn, to retain information, you have to teach it. So when I got a call six months after I turned out asking if I wanted a position at the training center, I took it. I started assisting other instructors and teaching different courses. I nestled into teaching third year, where I stayed until I got this position. I’m excited to lead our training center to new heights and generate new excitement both for our apprentices and for our membership.
Hosting the Western States Electrical Contest at the new ETASV was a highlight of this year. I’ve been getting emails daily from training directors about how much fun they had, how put-together it was, how attentive the staff was. I’m extremely proud of everybody: our staff, apprentice volunteers, instructor volunteers, the Western States Committee – it was a huge success and all of our hard work paid off. It was also the first time in its history that a woman won the competition. Her work was impeccable.
Recently I spoke with our apprentices about the state of our union. For the past 15 years, we’ve been riding a really high wave in terms of work. It’s unusually slow at the moment, but I’m optimistic things will turn around. Covid put the construction industry in a difficult spot, but we’re in Silicon Valley. Innovation and development require electrical power. Local 332 and NECA will be ready.
My vision for the training center is quite simple: to produce competent, professional electricians for the industry. We have to focus on hands-on training and evaluations. We want to invest in this building, in our apprentices, and in our membership to offer journeyman upgrade courses that reflect what’s being installed in the field to bring our membership to the forefront of where the industry is going.
