PHOENIX, AZ – Nearly twenty high school students graduated last week from Canyon
State Electric’s first summer electrical internship program. Throughout the eight-week program,
students experienced the electrical trade through interactive classroom sessions, hands-on
education, and role play exercises.
The students, incoming juniors and seniors, are all part of construction & technology
education (CTE) programs at their high schools.
“There’s a huge demand for skilled labor in the trades. These students were showing an
interest in construction careers early on—we wanted to encourage that interest and develop it
into a passion,” said Sidney Hawkins, Canyon State Electric’s Safety & Training Director.
“You see the excitement and the enthusiasm about what they did over the summer. They
have this pride and confidence in the technical work,” said Chantelle Frazee Jacobs, Mesa High
School’s CTE Career Coach.
Liz Zorilla, an incoming senior at Mesa High School, was picking between studying
framing or electric when she found the program: “In the beginning, it was a little challenging
because I was new to learning about electrical, just the wires and knowing which goes from
which—the ground, the neutral, the hot. It just made it easier for me to prepare for what I want to
do, and now I know for sure.”
“I think she’ll stick with it,” said Liz’s mom, Amy Zorilla. “She loved the program
because she was able to be out of her comfort zone and learn new skills.”
“That’s how I started, as a high schooler helping on small remodeling projects in my
hometown,” said Robert Hughes, CSE President. “We want these students to know that
construction is a career path that can take them places, and Canyon State Electric’s doors are
open when they graduate.”
Canyon State Electric also opened its in-house electrical apprenticeship program earlier
this month.
Some students, like Liz, have already decided on life after graduation: “I plan on just
coming back here to work as an [apprentice electrician],” said Zorilla. “I’m eager to learn.”
To apply for the summer internship, apprenticeship program, or other career opportunities
at Canyon State Electric, visit: careers.cseci.com.
