Becoming and working in the electrical field as a Union apprentice is no joke. It requires rigorous accountability, a god-tier ability to take notes and ask questions, and the fortitude to be corrected time and time again to better trade skills you will need for the rest of your career.
Apprentices come in all forms. Sometimes we have people who have never worked in the construction field. Sometimes we get people who have worked for their family’s small business. Sometimes people have never lifted a tool in their life.
One of the best things you can ask for from an apprentice is consistency of quality. This month’s apprentice of the month, Anthony Lilley, a fifth year now working for Schetter Electric, has been a source of that kind of consistency and drive that we love to see in the apprentices.
Having apprentices come in with experience is always a boon to our profession, especially when, after they get into the apprenticeship, they immediately start making a name for themselves.
No two apprentices will ever have the same previous experience. One of the benefits of the Union is the ability for people from all backgrounds, from zero experience to people with years under their belts, to come in and enjoy the fruits of this program.
One of the hallmarks of the recipient of apprentice of the month is that it tends to be awarded to those who don’t seek it. Those apprentices who are in the field, plying their trade and learning how to become the best journeymen possible without seeking praise are those that often most deserve this much-coveted award.
Apprentices must be at the top of their game throughout the entire IBEW program. If they slack off or stop paying attention to what they are doing in the field or classroom, it can have ripple effects throughout their entire careers.
It’s important when you join a Union to think of it as gaining not so much a job as a career. In addition to that, you are also gaining a family that will stick with you for the rest of your career and, for many of us, the rest of your life.
When it comes to finding motivated apprentices in our trade, you never have to look very far. It is each and every apprentice’s duty to work hard, ask questions, and better themselves in the field by listening to and following the tutelage of their journeymen.
There are times in the field when you meet someone and can’t help asking yourself, “How do they just keep going no matter what?” There is a tenacity inherent with being a tradesman, but there is also a raw strength and drive that creates a craftsman we can be proud to call brother or sister.
It is with great pride we announce that Erin Gibbens, third year instructor, is a recipient of an award from the Sacramento Central Labor Council in recognition of her outstanding and invaluable work.
One thing every organized member of a Union hopes for is not just an apprentice who comes in and learns the trade from a journeyman but also one who is engaged with the membership and wants to be part of the conversation and volunteerism that comes with being organized.