Wiregrass Tech student Brandon Howell has completed the requirement for his national apprenticeship and was recognized recently by Ace Electric, Inc. of Valdosta and Wiregrass. Howell started as a registered apprentice with the US Department of Labor when he was a senior at Lowndes High School. While in high school, Howell was part of the first group of students hired by Ace Electric as part of their Amped program and was a dual enrollment student through Wiregrass in the Commercial Electrical Construction Program.
In 2019, Ace Electric provided financial support for the new Commercial Electrical Construction Technology classroom on the Valdosta Campus. Tommy Stalvey, Ace Electric’s President of Operations, added, “One of our core values at Ace is a commitment to career development, and by partnering with great institutions like Wiregrass, we create a bridge for students to not only begin a successful career with us, but instill a higher set of skills and experience in our industry.”
Howell has since completed 8,000 on-the-job training hours with Ace Electric. In December 2023, he will graduate from Wiregrass with his degree in Commercial Electrical Construction. While at Wiregrass Howell was a member of the SkillsUSA Chapter Team. He is a two-time SkillsUSA State Gold Medalist in Electrical Construction Wiring and last year earned a bronze medal at the National SkillsUSA competition in Electrical Construction Wiring. This month he will be competing again at the National SkillsUSA competition with a gold medal in his sights.
Howell is currently an electrician with Ace Electric, and he will soon sit for his electrician’s license exam. “Wiregrass is very proud of Brandon and all his accomplishments. His story is a perfect example of how Wiregrass is closing the workforce gap starting with the high schools through the Dual Enrollment program,” shared Wiregrass President DeAnnia Clements. “His journey through the program and taking advantage of the Apprenticeship and SkillsUSA competitions through the college has led him to a great career with our partners at Ace Electric.”
The Dual Enrollment program is offered to high school students and provides an opportunity for them to earn college credit while in high school. Wiregrass’ Apprenticeship program trains individuals in a trade using a combination of on-the-job skills development and classroom/lab-related instruction.
The college is currently accepting new students for Fall Semester; classes begin on August 15.