Board approves IEC electrical pre-apprenticeship at King George High after community partners pledge funding

The King George County School Board approved a pre-apprenticeship electrical program to be offered at King George High School starting second semester.

Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Chesapeake, local contractors and Rappahannock Goodwill told the board they would fund a startup cohort. Rappahannock Goodwill committed $15,000, and local contractor Bobby McLaughlin of 4 Elements Electric pledged to match that amount, funding the IEC pre-apprenticeship turnkey program for an initial cohort of 10 students. IEC representatives described a pathway that includes a 160-hour pre-apprenticeship in high school, industry-provided instruction and screening, an apprenticeship hiring day at the high school, and a four-year apprenticeship track with classroom instruction at Germanna Community College leading to a journeyman electrician qualification.

School staff said the program will provide an on-ramp to living-wage employment with hands-on training, OSHA and CPR certifications, textbooks and an electrician’s toolkit for graduates. IEC said participating contractors will provide paid on-the-job training during the apprenticeship.

Board members praised the partnership. Several board members recognized work by Terry Renko, the district’s work-based learning coordinator, and local partners that organized a CTE stakeholder dinner where community commitments were announced. The board moved and seconded a resolution to approve the program; the minutes record the motion was carried by voice vote with the chair voting aye.

The board did not record a roll-call tally in the public transcript. The motion’s minutes show the district will host a pre-apprenticeship cohort at King George High School for the second semester and coordinate with IEC, participating contractors and Rappahannock Goodwill on implementation details.