Two years ago, Aidan Barker sat in the audience at West Springfield High School, attending an Electrical and Skilled Trades presentation given by Mr. Wolfe.  Now, as a senior, he has returned - not as a spectator, but as a presenter, sharing his journey with fellow students.  A standout leader in Mr. Wolfe’s Electrical Construction and Engineering Academy class, Aidan is gaining hands-on experience through a paid apprenticeship as an FCPS Electrician’s Helper this year.

“I did the number one thing Mr. Wolfe advised – show up and do the work,” Aidan said. As a junior, he said he trained on various tools, learned how to install single pole and three -way switches, practiced conduit bending, and earned his OSHA-10 safety certification through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.  Now a senior, he attends classes every other day, and spends two days a week working as a paid apprentice for Fairfax County Public Schools.  After graduation, he plans to continue on the journey to becoming a professional electrician.

If you are interested in learning more about the Edison Academy Electrical Construction and Engineering class, please check out their website. The hands-on presentation that Aidan attended his sophomore year was originally the idea of Employment and Transition Representative Becky Cousins and funded through a Work-based learning grant from Educate Fairfax.  Mr. Wolfe has given this presentation every year from 2018 - 2025 (except during 2021) and has helped countless students learn more about careers in the skilled trades.