Russ Sansosti, left, and James Nagy are Youngstown JATC apprentices working with Dickey Electric on the construction of the YJATC’s new training center in Boardman.
It’s a unique opportunity for two commercial electrician apprentices to have a hand in building their own training facility.
Fourth-year apprentice Russ Sansosti of Struthers and third-year apprentice James Nagy of Austintown are part of “Joe” Dickey Electric’s crew wiring the building and installing electrical panels in the Youngstown Area Electrical JATC’s new training center on Southern Boulevard in Boardman.
“It’s been a long time coming and a dream of ours to have this new facility,” Sansosti said. “And it’s kinda cool to get to build it and get the benefits of training in it, too.”
“There’s a lot of pressure to a good job because everyone’s going to judge how we did, but we’re honored at the same time,” Nagy said.
YJATC training director Ed Emerick says they’ve got nothing to worry about.
“Everything these guys are doing is top-notch,” Emerick said. “If I were an apprentice right now I’d feel honored to be part of this project. It will likely never happen again in their lifetime.”
Once completed this fall, apprentices and journeymen will experience new, state-of-the-art forms of training opportunities. [Click here to learn more about the apprentice program]
Dave McGoogan, left, shares advice with apprentice Russ Sansosti, both working for Dickey Electric, as they install an electrical panel in the YJATC training centers new building in Boardman.
“First off, there’s a lot more room to work,” said Dave McGoogan, both a journeyman electrician with Dickey Electric and an instructor at the training center. “There’s a lot more shop area and several companies are donating equipment that our apprentices will be able to train on.”
Emerick concurred.
“This facility will get them physically involved in the training, and the hands-on component of apprentice training is 80 percent of the process,” Emerick said.
The training center encompasses nearly 14,000 square feet, and includes four well-appointed classrooms, labs, offices, break room and a large multi-purpose space.