Zane Petersen wanted to expand his career choice horizon beyond the traditional four-year college path, so he signed up to take electrical classes as a high school student.
What he discovered surprised him: “I didn’t think I was going to like it, but I really loved it.”
His discovery also included the knowledge that he was perfectly poised for a successful career in the lucrative electrical industry thanks to a collaboration between Building Omaha (BO) and Omaha Public Schools (OPS).
Since 2013, students from OPS’s nine high schools have learned what an electrical career entails through hands-on learning at the district’s Career Center. Their instructor, Brian Helmberger, who is both a journeyman electrician and a Nebraska-certified teacher, guides his students through numerous jobs they’d face as professional electricians.
“There is a need in the industry,” Helmberger says. “My number one goal is to show the industry to the students and let them make the decision on what they want to do.”
Jeremy Nielsen, director of The Career Center at OPS, says student opportunities like this exist because of Building Omaha. BO has donated industry-grade tools and materials for classroom projects, secured Helmberger as the program’s teacher, and connected students to industry professionals and potential employers.
The classroom is more like a job site, with students working real-world training scenarios under Helmberger’s supervision. Instruction is engaging, and curriculum is project-based to accommodate many learning styles. Jorge Zavala says it was tailor-made for students like himself who find traditional classroom instruction a challenge. “I can get lost in my head, so non-traditional learning has really helped me stay focused,” he says.
A true classroom-to-career experience, the Building Omaha-OPS collaboration has served as a direct pipeline for participating students to enter the electrical industry. Many go on to apply for the Construction Wireman Program, which boosts their chances of being hired.
Plus, students “build connections with teachers that can help them connect to a large network, where they can then be placed in the industry and start their career,” Nielsen says.
“I get to meet some of the sponsors, and it greatly increases my chance of getting hired by them,” adds student George Jensen.
Building Omaha and OPS are bridging the gap between education and industry, addressing the demand for electrical professionals in a fast-growing industry.
Be a part of this bright future.
This partnership will continue to thrive to build a bright future for the next generation of electricians—and Omaha.
Learn more information about how Building Omaha is creating a brighter future for all.
