What is National Apprenticeship Week?
National Apprentice Week (NAW) is a weeklong celebration established by the U.S. Department of Labor that highlights the value of apprenticeships for career seekers, employers, and the economy.
Apprenticeships combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction to prepare workers for highly-skilled careers. NAW is a platform to showcase the transformative power of apprenticeship and its ability to meet critical workforce needs (source: apprenticeship.gov).
This year’s theme— 10 Years of Engagement, Expansion, and Innovation— celebrates a decade since NAW’s inception.
Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2024
In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week 2024, M3 sat down with electrical apprentice, Brent Davidson, to learn what led him to apprenticeship, how apprenticeship has impacted his career so far, and what a typical day in the life of an apprentice looks like.
Meet Brent Davidson, M3 Electrical Apprentice
Before becoming an electrician, Brent served 21 years in the U.S. Air Force in special warfare. After serving our country, Brent actually spent 6 months in retirement enjoying bike rides, golf, and other activities with family and friends before realizing he wasn’t quite ready to retire. He was drawn to electrical work because of the challenge, variety of tasks, and opportunity to learn a new skill.
Once he knew he wanted to pursue electrical work, Brent enrolled with I-TAP— a Sacramento-local school for electricians. There, he completed 6 months of formal electrician schooling. Upon graduation, Brent was hired at M3 as an electrical trainee.
Path to apprenticeship
Nearly 2 years into his electrical career with M3, Brent decided to become an apprentice.
“I was having a conversation with one of our foremen and he mentioned that he would really like to get me on some of the job sites he was running at various schools. However, I needed to meet the Skilled and Trained Workforce (STW) requirements first. After quite a bit of research, including phone calls to both WECA and ABC, I concluded that the only way to work on STW projects was to enter an apprenticeship or join a union. I want to be able to work on any and all job sites, so when I discussed this with some of the higher-ups and was subsequently offered apprentice sponsorship, I jumped at the opportunity,” Brent shared.
What opportunities has apprenticeship provided?
Brent expressed that just 6 months into his apprenticeship, he’s been given a new realm of opportunity. He explained, “the apprenticeship has already opened up opportunities for me; I have been able to work at a couple of schools that were previously off-limits to me as an ET (electrical trainee).”
What does a typical day look like as an electrical apprentice?
Brent walked us through a typical day in the life of an electrical apprentice.
Specific tasks Brent has gotten to work on as an apprentice include:
- Layout & installation of supports/hangers
- Light fixture installation
- Running conduit
- Pulling wires
- Powering on lights
- Installing exit signs
- Panel & transformer makeups
Brent shared that he enjoys the learning, challenges, new experiences, and variety that comes along with apprenticeship. He’s also known to keep things fun on the jobsite.
“One thing I enjoy is challenging myself and others. For example, I’ll let people know I plan on racing them… not everyone is motivated to push themselves when challenged to a race, but most will step up and have fun with it. The day goes faster, and it is satisfying to know you have accomplished a lot. I constantly turn work into games, and I try to inspire others to do the same,” Brent shared.
We are lucky to have Brent on the team!
Learn more about Brent, including some of the parallels he finds between the military and electrical work: