LPS high school students generate knowledge about electrical careers at fair

November 18, 2024

More than 200 Lincoln Public Schools high school students plugged into powerful currents of knowledge this fall by learning about potential careers as electricians.
 
Students from across the school district connected with industry professionals at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Career Fair. They learned about a wide array of electrical-based jobs during the two-day event. High school students from Standing Bear, Southeast, Southwest and Lincoln High attended on day one, and East, Northeast, North Star and Northwest came to the fair on day two.
 
East senior Carson said he enjoyed his time at the IBEW Local 265 headquarters in Lincoln. He said the fair has opened his eyes to many potential job opportunities that will be available after graduation.
 
“I’m really interested in cell towers, because I have a friend who works on them,” Carson said. “I’m really hoping I can eventually become one of those people.”
 
Northeast senior Jonathan shared the same enthusiasm inside the IBEW training building. He attended last year’s career fair when he was in the school’s Intro to Construction class with skilled and technical sciences (STS) teacher Bob Freese. He said the electrical profession is catching his eye as a promising career field.
 
“This year, I’m not in Mr. Freese’s class, but I personally asked him if I could come to this field trip again this year because I was really interested, and he said for sure,” Jonathan said. “I’m really grateful that he allowed me to come, because I’m really getting a lot of information today.”
 
Many students who attended the career fair are enrolled in an Intro to Construction course at their high school this semester. The class covers a full range of trades such as framing, roofing, plumbing, sheet metal creation, electrical installation, masonry, bricklaying, drywalling, welding, tiling, telephone/cable installation, electric motor operation and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
 
East senior Jordyn lives on a farm and has tackled many construction projects with her family. She has already taken an interior design class at East and is planning to enroll in courses on woodworking and architectural design next semester. She said the Intro to Construction class has given her a valuable road map to follow for her future.
 
“I might want to go into interior design, so I thought this would be a good career class to take,” Jordyn said. “It’s just something I enjoy doing.”
 
Rob Babcock teaches STS classes at East and has helped students at the career fair since the event began in 2019. Babcock previously worked as an electrician in Lincoln and said he has been encouraged by the interest students have shown in the field. Organizers of the career fair have met that rising demand with additional experiences for teenagers.
 
“It’s grown a lot,” Babcock said. “They have more stations and it’s more organized. When we first started, our kids just kind of showed up and went wherever, but now they have stations and times and you have really good small groups. It’s a great way to get hands-on experience.”
 
Jordyn said she was happy to have that type of variety at the fair. She and her classmates spent ten minutes at each of the 12 stations in the training center and headquarters buildings. They learned how electricians install fiber optic cables, complete electrical engineering projects, work with thermal imaging devices and maintain heating and cooling equipment.
 
“We all have different interests, and there are so many different career paths with electrical,” Jordyn said.
 
One of the sessions that highlighted the emerging jobs available for electricians took place on the second floor of the training center. Students smiled as they held open plastic bags and watched a robot pick up candy and drop it in each container. Local electricians explained that they install and program robots at businesses and fix them when they need maintenance.
 
LPS students also watched a presentation on augmented reality and how it helps electricians. Augmented reality uses infrastructure mapping data to overlay a computer viewscreen with important graphics and information.
 
For example, an electrician could point a smartphone or computer screen at the ground outside a home. The augmented reality technology can show where unseen electrical and utility wires are buried, which helps them know where to safely dig during maintenance or inspection projects.
 
Babcock worked on high-voltage electrical assignments for five years and low-voltage jobs for two years when he was in the profession. He completed everything from fixing audio-visual equipment to installing lights at Memorial Stadium at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He said sharing those personal experiences with students was one way to prepare them for the career fair.
 
“It’s kind of cool for the kids to see,” Babcock said. “They can do something like this too.”
 
Jonathan said the career fair has made him even more curious about electrical-based jobs. He said he would like to make positive connections with electrical employers after he earns his Northeast degree.
 
“I like welding, but electrical is really sticking out right now,” Jonathan said.

To learn more about LPS Career and Technical Education curriculum, visit our website at https://home.lps.org/cte.

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