Please welcome James Hall, Apprenticeship Instructor! After getting a Master of Science in Natural Resources Management and Wildlife Biology, James anticipated a very different career. But shortly after James completed his Masters, a friend offered him a position installing simple electrical systems, and the rest is history. Finding that he preferred the electrical field, he signed up to take the very first Get Wired course with WECA instructor Dan Bierly back in 2006. His successful progression through that program qualified him to join the WECA team as a part-time instructor by 2011. And now, he's joined WECA full time. He adds, "I really wanted to give back to the program that has provided me so much." James was also a tutor in college and a teaching assistant in graduate school, and teaching feels like a natural fit for him.
 
James and his wife moved to Sacramento in 2007, where James began commercial and industrial work. He was able to work on a wide variety of projects including commercial offices, retail, theaters, manufacturing, schools, and restaurants. For the past 6 ½ years, he's also been working at Aerojet Rocketdyne. James states, "I started as an industrial maintenance electrician; however, for the past year I was a construction superintendent for infrastructure and manufacturing construction projects on the plant."
 
James's teaching philosophy is collaborative. He says, "I prefer to engage with students as a facilitator or coach....I like to ask a lot of questions and have stories shared--both theirs and mine. My goal is not only to teach someone to install a given light fixture, but also to teach them to read a wiring diagram and the cut-sheet so they can install any light fixture." His advice for apprentices is: "The electrical field is wide open, and there is always something new to learn...view your time as an apprentice as an opportunity. Stay positive, patient, and be the one to volunteer."
 
So what keeps him engaged in the trade through the years? James says, "I am fascinated by electricity. Electricity is all around us, and an important part of so many things. It occurs in nature, it is in our bodies, we use it to travel, to think, to build things, and simply live." A wonderful point to share-welcome, James, and we wish you the very best of luck here with the WECA team!