Ninety graduates of the DCCCD and Dallas IEC apprenticeship program joined
(left to right, front row) Jerry Thomas, CEO of IEC; Joyce Williams, DCCCD associate vice chancellor for workforce and community initiatives; Karrie O’Neal, DCCCD manager of apprenticeship programs; and Julian Alvarez, commissioner of labor for the Texas Workforce Commission, for commencement.
Contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819;
ahatch@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — July 9, 2018
(DALLAS) — Balancing a full-time job, classes and responsibilities at home is a tough challenge for any student. For apprentices with Dallas Independent Electrical Contractors, it’s a way of life that often leads to journeyman certification and jobs that pay well in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Dallas IEC and the Dallas County Community College District’s office of workforce and community initiatives celebrated 90 apprentices and their achievements during a graduation ceremony held recently at the Irving Convention Center — the 42nd commencement for the DIEC program. Dallas IEC and DCCCD have been partners for more than 10 years.
To date, the Dallas IEC apprenticeship program has enrolled more than 500 students in its apprenticeship program. Graduates have completed 576 hours of classroom-related instructions and 8,000 hours of on-the-job training with highly skilled mentors. More than 70% have passed the journeyman certification exam.
“Our partnership with Dallas IEC is important because we are preparing students to fulfill workforce needs that are vital for the city of Dallas and the North Texas region,” said Joyce Williams, DCCCD’s associate vice chancellor for workforce and community initiatives.
Williams, who cultivated the partnership, added, “This partnership ensures that the knowledge and hands-on experience needed in highly skilled trade areas are being met and that students’ lives are begin transformed through higher education.”
The commencement speaker, Julian Alvarez III — commissioner of labor for the Texas Workforce Commission — talked to graduates about the importance of commitment and dedication that employers seek in today’s workforce.
“Your level of commitment is reflected in the awards given today for perfect attendance,” said Alvarez. Nearly 60% of the graduating class had perfect attendance for all four years of the apprenticeship training program.
He added, “Apprenticeship programs also are effective because they give individuals a chance to obtain additional education after high school with little to no student debt. Apprenticeships are designed for students to learn as they earn.”
Dallas IEC and DCCCD’s registered apprenticeship with the U.S. Department of Labor enables students in the program to work full time while they complete required coursework; those graduates earn certifications and acquire skills that are transferrable within their occupational area. Dallas IEC seeks to meet workforce needs, and members of this year’s graduating class have jobs that represent more than 45 employers in the DFW and surrounding areas.
For more information about the Dallas IEC apprenticeship program, visit
iecdallas.com; for details about DCCCD’s apprenticeship opportunities, contact Karrie O’Neal, DCCCD’s manager of apprenticeship programs, by email at
karrie.oneal@dcccd.edu or by phone at 214-378-1724.
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