Electrical Workers Hold Boot Camp for CJUSD Students

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers/ National Electrical Contractors Association opened its San Bernardino training center to CJUSD sixth, seventh and eighth-graders for a special boot camp teaching students about a promising career field and the real-life importance of mastering math lessons in their classrooms. The Boot Camp formed through a special partnership between the district and the IBEW/NECA Riverside/San Bernardino Electrical Apprenticeship Program. The sixth grade boot camp took place on Nov. 18, with middle school students scheduled for Nov. 25. At each boot camp, about eighty students rotate in groups between classes covering topics such as math relevancy, electrical safety, tool handling, first aid/CPR and mock interviews. In the math relevancy session, students try out math equations needed to complete an electrical task, then perform the job to see if they got it right. In the job skills portion, they learn to assemble metal framing, taking measurements and checking angles. The students said they like the event because of all the hands-on activities. “Everybody is really nice and they let you do the stuff yourself, they don’t just do it on their own,” Jurupa Vista Elementary School sixth grader Kaylee Brown said. “They encourage you.” Instructors from the union’s training center, who normally teach adult apprentices for job certification, shared their knowledge with a younger audience. “As an organization which trains electrical apprentices, we think that it is vital to expose younger students to alternatives to college. The earning potential for someone with a technical degree or certification can be as much or more than an individual with a four year college degree,” San Bernardino/Riverside County Training Director Rick Purper said. “We had a great time, and were impressed with the students from Colton Joint Unified School District.” For the district, the boot camp is an opportunity to not only help students think about future career possibilities, but also to show them first-hand one way the math lessons they learn in the classroom today are essential in real life. It is also an example of CJUSD’s efforts to build stronger relationships with the community through its “Purposeful Community” initiative. The district recently formed a Community Cabinet. The group is developing action plans for business and community leaders, parents and other educational partners to work together to help students in key areas including early preparation, literacy, academic and career readiness, and mental and physical health awareness. “IBEW is a tremendous resource for our students and our community,” Superintendent Jerry Almendarez said. “By forming partnerships such as these, we can offer our students support and let them know that important people in the community care about their future and their success.”