On Monday, Journeyman Electrician, Taylor Pecika, a member International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 743 in Reading spoke to 9th grade students at Mahanoy Area school District to talk about the benefits of the Schuylkill Technology Center.
Taylor, who is employed by H.B. Frazer Company, is a graduate of the Mahanoy Area School District and a 2012 graduate of the Residential Industrial Electricity Program at Schuylkill Technology Center.
Taylor was looking towards attending college until he heard the presentation from the IBEW while he was attending the Residential & Industrial Electricity program at STC-South. Taylor expressed interest and contacted the union and applied for their apprenticeship program. The application process consists of completing an aptitude test and depending on your score, meeting a panel of electrical contractors to test the applicant’s knowledge of electricity. Once an applicant is accepted into the apprenticeship, they will work during the day and take evening classes for 5 years and ultimately complete 8000 hours of training, both in the field and in the jobsite.
Taylor is one of the youngest union foreman in the IBEW and is an example of how following your own path and working hard will pay off. The goal of Taylor's presentation to the Mahanoy Area 9th grade students, was to inspire some students to look towards the trades. For more information on the member International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 743, see https://743electricaltraining.org/