Joy Walczak from Kent ISD speaks with Omar Rodriguez, Lee High & WMCI Alum, Electrical Apprentice, CS Erickson and Heather Ley, Human Resources Manager, CS Erickson
Transcript:
Joy Walczak (JW): Welcome to the Your Dream Is Our Dream podcast where we celebrate student success one dream at a time. I'm Joy Walczak and today I'm joined by Omar Rodriguez who is a recent graduate from Godfrey-Lee and is also an electrical apprentice at CS Erickson. I'm also here with Heather Ley who is the Human Resource Manager at CS Erickson. And this is a program that started with Omar's interest in construction and electrical engineering and that all started with West Michigan Construction Institute.So, Omar, why don't you share with us how you ended up going from Lee High School to a part-time program at West Michigan Construction Institute?
Omar Rodriguez (OR): So, it all started in my sophomore year. One of the instructors there, he came into my school and did like a whole assembly with a presentation and kind of like gave a rundown of what the program is about. And it really piqued my interest along with like other programs, but WMCI was definitely like the one I was going for. And I signed up for it. And then over the summer, I heard that I got accepted. Once the school year started, I'd go there like every morning around 6.55 to 9.30. And then for the rest of the day, I'd just go to school.
JW: What were you learning at WMCI? I know you had a specific interest in electrical, but you also learned about other aspects of construction, right?
OR: Yeah. So, in the beginning, most of it was kind of like general construction knowledge. They wanted us understanding blueprints, just understanding how to communicate on a construction site. You got to be loud and you sometimes you have to even use hand signals because things are so loud there. They taught us CPR.They gave us OSHA training and along with that, they gave us a lot of book work, but they balanced it out with lot of lab work, too, getting to like joint wires or wire up devices and run conduit was all really fun. And they did a mix of the book work and lab work and it kind of blended together really nice. A lot of hands-on training.
JW: And specifically, you went for the electric pathway. Is that right?
OR: Yeah. I got to do a lot of running conduit. So, I did some bending and just hanging it on the ceiling or along the walls, fixing of the place actually, too.Like we did a, they did a ceiling grid and we got to run pipe to the lights there and to boxes and join up all the wires together. I also do recall in the beginning making these kind of like wooden boards and we'd wire up all the wires in the boxes and devices kind of just showing your skill, you know, and we could do different things. You could do three-way switches, four-way switches. You could learn how to wire multiple outlets in a chain, just things like that that we got to do.
JW: Those skills are very practical in the world of construction and electric in particular. And you had an opportunity to do an internship.Heather, I'd love to talk to you about the internship program you provide for students like Omar here at CS Erickson. What's it all about?
Heather Ley (HL): Oh, we are very excited about our partnership with WMCI and the internships that they offer because they have students that are there specifically, like Omar was, to learn and they're ready to be exposed in the workplace to the different aspects, how to put into place the things that they've been exposed to in the classroom.So, um, partnering with them, we were able to work around Omar's school schedule. And then some days he would come here and work instead of going into a classroom and get exposed to that. One of the things that was excellent about it for us was when Omar's schooling was done, graduated from Godfrey Lee, he graduated from WMCI, he came on board with us as an electrical apprentice. So, he already knew the company, he'd already been exposed to so much of what we do, already had a really great base of knowledge, and then could come on board with us as an electrical apprentice.
JW: And how's it working out now?
HL: Oh, it's excellent. Omar's great. He's doing a great job, heard nothing but great things. So electrical apprenticeships, have a certain number of hours that you need to work over the course of four years, 8,000 hours you need to accumulate.And Omar has completed his first 1,000 hours as of I think this coming Saturday, he'll be at his first thousand hours. So, over the course of the next three and a half years, he'll complete the remainder of his apprenticeship.
JW: 7,000 hours to go, but it sounds like you're really enjoying what you're doing.
OR: Yeah.It's been really fun. I've got to do a lot of like really cool things that even some of the people that have been on here for maybe three or four years haven't gotten to do yet.
JW: Tell us about some of those things. You have a really interesting site that you're working on right now.
OR: Yeah, I'm working at the Amway Stadium and currently I've been doing underground work, which as an apprentice is necessary.It's digging trenches, doing all the backbreaking work that a lot of the older guys have already done in their past. So, it's just kind of like paying your dues. You know, everyone has to do it.But before that, I did get to hang all of the lights that are on the top of the stadium, all of the stadium spotlights that will light up the whole field.
JW: That's incredible.
OR: Yeah. Me and me and one other guy, he was a third-year apprentice. So, he's older than me and he was kind of guiding me along the way there. But he did kind of let me take control in some aspects and get a lot of experience with doing my own thing and it kind of helped me be able to lean on myself more. But yeah, there was about like 40 lights There's like 20 on each, 20 something on each side, maybe more, and we'd work, we were working like 12-hour days, so 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. And it was like 110 degrees out and we were going like 100 feet in the air and we'd just go we'd take two lights up with us because lights were like 100 pounds, and then I got to wire them up and pull the wires for them.So, it's pretty cool.
JW: Did you ever think a year ago that you would be working on a project like this one and then people will walk into that stadium and see all of those lights come on and you did that! How does that feel?
OR: Yeah, it's the one thing that I'm excited for because I haven't really got to feel that feeling yet.The first ever job I was at was like a warehouse for some brewing company.it was like, not really high profile as a stadium that you know, every time there's an event there 80 or 8000 people are going to be, you know, walking through. So yeah, it's a, it's a pretty unknown feeling. But I'm excited to finally like get done with it and be like, wow, like I actually got to do some of that.
JW: This program is very beneficial, clearly, to you and your pathway, Heather, tell us how important it is for a company like CS Ericsson to really bring that next generation forward into your fold.
HL: I'm so glad you asked that. That's one of the things that excites me the most in my role and in the work that we do. There are not a lot of industries left where you get exposed, you learn on the job.And every apprentice that we hire, we are creating the next generation of electricians. So, we're creating the future of the electrical trade right here. And that's really rewarding.I love that we work in an industry where Omar is going to get to go to a game and he's going to get to sit down and he's going to get to point up at that and be like, I built that. That is so cool. So cool. Very, very exciting.So yeah, having that partnership with WMCI and bringing electricians into CS Ericsson, it’s a dream.
JW: I'm so glad to hear that that dream is coming true, especially for you Omar.As you were thinking about this program in high school, what are you dreaming about becoming like for your future? Did you have this dream even as a child?
OR: I didn't really get interested into the electrical field until about freshman, sophomore year of high school.My dad was in the trades. He was a mechanic for a long time and he was also a welder and he does sheet metal. And his company is actually working with us at our job site, too. So, I don't get to see him because he's a shop guy, but it's a cool little thing. I remember like looking online and social media and seeing a lot of like videos about electricians and seeing like, there's a lot of incorporation with math and numbers and I like to use my brain a little bit.So, I like to challenge myself and I thought it'd be a good fit. I went to WMCI and I just liked it even more and now my current dream is like, hopefully, one day like achieving like becoming a master electrician, which is like after your four years, you got to do another two years before you can even take that test. And it's, it's on par with like the, bar exam. So, it's a really hard test, but it helps you. It will give me stepping stones towards my next goal, which is like starting a company or doing my own work, you know? Being able to support myself and relying solely on myself is something that I'd like to do.Being able to build my own future.
JW: And with the skills that you are learning here, even what you learned in high school that helped prepare you for what you're learning here and learned at West Michigan Construction Institute, you can actually take those skills anywhere and build your dream wherever you want that to be, which is really awesome.
OR: Yeah.
JW: So, congratulations for all that you've achieved so far. you.
OR: Thank you.
JW: And Heather, why do you feel it's important for adults like us to ask students what their dreams are and help them make those dreams come true?
HL: I feel like the world can be really overwhelming when you get to be Omar's age and you're looking at the wide expanse of what can I do? What should I do? I think the trades in general are such an excellent avenue. For the last 20 years, they were really overlooked, but it's one of the few directions you can go where what you get out of it is reflective of what you put into it. So, it's really where you go with it is determined only by your ambition and how hard you're willing to work.And that's really rewarding.
JW: It's so true. Omar, what kind of advice might you have for students who are just learning about these opportunities and that they even exist?
OR: I'd say definitely give it a shot, but this is definitely like a good option to try out especially for people like me who aren't as good as book work and are more like a hands-on type person like things click way more in the field than they do in class like, way, way more. So, I definitely would recommend to those people and just to anyone in general like definitely just give it a try. You can always back out, you know, it's never too late.
JW: I'm guessing you're pretty proud of what you've achieved so far. Can you tell me about that?
OR: I mean, I don't like to, you know, toot my own horn, but I just feel like what I do, what I've done is like really cool. mean, it's, it's hard to put it into words. I guess I'm still like in the middle of it, you know, I'm working towards where I want to be. Seeing how far I've come has been a really great like reminder that like to keep going. A year ago, two years ago, you know, I was doing something completely like dead end. I was working at like a fashion store, a little clothing store. And now I'm like doing this right out of high school. So, it's a pretty good feeling and I'm excited to see like how much further I can take it.
JW: We're excited to see that too. And Heather, I can let you toot his horn a little bit. How do you, how proud are you of the successes that Omar has already achieved?
HL: Omar is a great example. He is actually the first intern that we had from WMCI.So, seeing him translate that internship into a successful apprenticeship is fantastic.Yeah, we're very proud of Omar.
JW: Fantastic. What's the future of your internship program here at CS Ericsson? I bet there are opportunities for more students.
HL: Yes, that is our intention.One of the nice things about it is that we can have in the electrical trade, can't have students that are under 18, but through a partnership like through WMCI, we can have 17-year-olds.They can't be exposed to certain things on the job site, but they can still start their electrical journey with us, even though they're still in high school.
JW: That's a great pathway and also a wonderful connection to have your organization partner with WMCI, who partners with Kent ISD to provide the students the educational experience that Omar had with his district school as well.So, Omar, any last words that you want to share about students and being able to achieve dreams together with opportunities like this?
OR: When it comes to programs and things like these, it's really important to understand that not everyone, it won't be for everyone, but there's a lot of people that will really fit into a program like this really achieve something if they do this. That's what I think.
JW: Omar, what are you looking forward to most in the weeks ahead?
OR: Soon, the concrete will be poured and we'll be done finally digging trenches and all that stuff.So, I'm looking forward to the point where I get to branch onto something new and maybe run conduit or pull more wire.I really would like to do lighting, that's something I haven't got to do a whole lot of yet, which sounds pretty fun. I want to do it. That's what I'm looking forward to.
JW: Well, congratulations on all you've done so far. We're all excited to see that stadium light up and know that you were part of making that happen.And thanks to you also, Heather, for the opportunities you're providing for students in our community.
HL: It's truly our pleasure.
JW: And thank you, Omar, for sharing your story with us.
OR: Thank you.
JW: You're welcome. And thanks to everyone who's listening today, too. If you know a student who dreams big, we would love to share their story.Submit your ideas and hear more episodes at KentISD.org/your dream. I'm Joy Walczak. The Your Dream Is Our Dream podcast is presented by Kent ISD in partnership with WGVU.
