A celebration of success
Facilities Management honors 10 graduates of the UVA Apprenticeship Program and welcomes 15 new inductees
At the July 17 Apprenticeship Graduation and Induction Ceremony, University of Virginia and state officials along with Facilities Management employees and their families gathered to recognize the accomplishments of 25 staff members.
The annual event honored 10 graduating apprentices and the induction of 15 new apprentices who are starting the four-year program.
Graduates include Vu Nguyen (Carpentry); Trevor Harlow, Chelsea Short, Dionte Sims and Dwayne Wood (Electrical); Chauncey Johnson, Derek Leake and Ryan Washington (HVAC); and Matt Taylor and Orlando Watkins (Plumbing). Trevor, Derek, Chelsea, Matt and Orlando were recognized for earning an A average in their classes over the course of the program and Vu was recognized for earning an A average and perfect attendance.
In addition, Chelsea was honored with the Ed Ford Outstanding Graduate Award. This $1,000 award is funded by an endowment from the family of Edward R. Ford of Brooklyn, N.Y. who started as a brick-layer at the age of 14 and continued on to later serve as a Chief in the Construction Battalion of the Navy.
Chelsea first joined UVA in 2011 working in Dining Services and later transferred to the Custodial Services department before she heard about the apprenticeship program and decided to apply. She was chosen for the award based on her outstanding contributions to the workplace and her exceptional progress in both academic studies and professional skills. Chelsea will continue to serve as an electrician with the Power & Light team.
“With each successful year I have had, I have gained more personal confidence and pride in the work I do,” Chelsea wrote in her self-nomination letter. “I love being able to do my own electrical work at home…[and] I have also been able to help my parents and close friends with some electrical issues they have had. I hope that my work as a tradesperson will make me a stronger role model for my daughter and remind her that she can do anything she sets her mind to.”
The 15 new inductees into the program include Brittany Collier, Justin Golladay, Kevin Nargee, Ben Norford, Cameron Sellers and Jalisa Stinnie (Electrical); Trevor Herring, Ben Melugin, James Simmons, Jonathan Taylor, Matt Taylor and Rene Vazquez (HVAC); and Zouzek Abdalhusain, Todd Flippen and Tim Simonin (Plumbing).
Speakers at the event included Associate Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Don Sundgren, UVA Senior Vice President for Operations Colette Sheehy and Virginia Department of Labor & Industry Registered Apprenticeship Director Trish Morrison.
Colette Sheehy spoke to the audience about the history of the UVA Apprenticeship Program, which first started in 1982. At the time, it was the first program of its kind to be sponsored by a state agency in Virginia, and since then it has become a model for other institutions seeking to grow their own workforces. The Virginia Department of Labor & Industry Registered Apprenticeship office regularly uses UVA’s program as an example for other institutions, according to Director Trish Morrison.
“We at the state Registered Apprenticeship office are selling a model, and it’s a model to earn while you learn,” she said, noting that Virginia Commonwealth University officials studied UVA’s program last year in preparation for the launch of its own apprenticeship program in 2017.