On Saturday, June 11th, 82 electrical apprentices graduated from the Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain (IECRM) (www.iecrm.org) Four-Year Electrical Apprentice Program in a special graduation ceremony at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. A large audience of more than 475 guests including family members, friends, spouses, instructors, and employers came out to celebrate their graduate. Graduation awards and student gifts were generously donated by IECRM industry partners: IDEAL Industries (www.idealindustries.com), LeGrand North America (www.legrand.us), and Milwaukee Tool (www.milwaukeetool.com). Additionally, IECRM member 1st Electric Contractors of Lakewood (www.1stelectric.net) sponsored the special venue.
The keynote address was delivered by Spenser Villwock, the previous CEO of IEC Rocky Mountain Chapter who currently serves as the Interim CEO of IEC National where he remains focused on keeping contractors at the cutting edge of the energy industry through innovative skills training and workforce development. With professional experience that includes leveraging market demand, political advocacy, environmental issues, philanthropy, leadership development, capacity building, he is an authority on developing community programming and policy to maximize impact. Spenser holds a Master’s Degree in non-profit management, is LEED-AP (Existing Buildings) accredited, and has an undergraduate degree in English Literature.
Spenser Villwock, Interim CEO IEC National – Congratulating the IECRM Class of 2016Moving speeches were delivered to their classmates by the Valedictorian Anthony Holcombe and Salutatorian Jeffrey Schedule, that described life as an apprentice and what it means to have achieved this level of training, education, and experience.
Each year, more than 1,000 students attend class at IECRM in Denver, Northern Colorado, or Live-Online, in the Four-Year Electrical Apprentice Program. By day, IECRM students are earning a living as electrical apprentices, and by night, once a week, they are in class learning the code and mathematics integral to their trade. The vast majority of IEC students graduate with zero debt, four years of work experience, and a solid career, with the required on-the-job training and classroom hours to take the Journeyman Electrician License Exam.
During the ceremony, several graduates and underclassmen were awarded for achieving high academic honors, perfect attendance, and placement in the 2016 IECRM Wire-Off Competition and Skills Challenge. Every graduate received a 10-piece IDEAL Industries toolkit, a Milwaukee Tool tape measure, and a Legrand laser level.
Early registration for the next session of the Four-Year Electrical Apprentice Program ends on July 20th. IECRM will host a Career Fair on July 13th and Grand Opening celebration on August 12th at their new facility in Northglenn, Colorado. Visit www.iecrm.org to register.
About Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain (IECRM)
Since 1981, the Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain (IECRM) has been the leading electrical and renewable energy contractor association in Colorado. Representing more than 200 member companies and educating over 1,500 electrical apprentices and licensed electricians annually, IECRM is dedicated to educating, promoting, and advancing the electrical industry.
IECRM, located in Denver, Colorado, is a chapter of the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC), a national trade association for merit shop electrical and systems contractors.
