On-site learning
New electrical trailer with AWC’S Wellton Manufacturing Training Center offers unique learning experience
Arizona Western College’s Wellton Manufacturing Training Center is holding a Basic Electricity class in a new electrical trailer until May 19th. The course is an introduction to basic electrical principles, circuits, and measurements.
The current students are employees of Gowan Milling, where the trailer is currently anchored, offering the employees onsite learning and training.
The new AWC electrical trailer means companies can better equip their employees, who are filling the boots of older workers about to retire.
“We’re a small but mighty group,” said Jim Larson, Director of Manufacturing at Arizona Western College (AWC), “but we have a growing student body and this is a great way to diversify our offerings and to meet the needs of the industry.”
This is the first time the trailer has been used to hold classes. And for some of the students in the Basic Electricity Course, it’s the first time they’ve ever been in a college classroom setting. For both the trailer and the students enrolled, it’s just the beginning.
“The electrical trailer represents the commitment by Arizona Western Entrepreneurial college to promote growth and strong community partnerships within our regional industrial community,” said Larson in an AWC press release. “When the companies invest in their employees by providing valuable training, our entire community benefits.”
The future of the electrical trailer depends on partnerships with the companies in the community. Say one company can’t offer the full number of students it takes to fill the course, they can offer as many as they can. Another company can come in and offer students for the same course. If spots are still open, another company can bring in however many students it takes to fill them.
“Any time everybody can sit around the table and give each other a thumbs up,” said Larson, “you know it’s a great success, especially these days.”
“Bringing career and technical education programs directly to the communities we serve via the Entrepreneurial College trailer presents an excellent opportunity to connect with learners who may otherwise lack easy access to such resources. By traveling and engaging with communities, we not only deliver valuable education, but also foster growth and prosperity in these regions. This initiative strongly resonates with the college’s mission of cultivating thriving communities and promises to positively transform countless lives,” said Cinthia Alvarez, AWC Executive Director and Dean of Career & Technical Education, in a press release.