A partnership between the Wichita Workforce Center and the Wichita Electrical Apprenticeship paid off big time for Corbin Rios, a participant in the Registered Apprenticeship (RA) program through the Workforce Center. 

Rios was awarded $30,000 in a ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 29 for taking first place in the apprentice/student division of the Ideal Tools National Tradesman Championship held in Orlando, FL. Ideal Industries, headquartered in Illinois, hosted the Championship to celebrate their centennial and to honor and showcase the abilities of electrical professionals, students and apprentices. The Championship was a three-round competition in which contestants demonstrated their problem-solving and physical skills across four categories: wire cutting, stripping, termination and testing through a multi-station speed test and was judged on fastest completion time and overall accuracy of the wire connection. In addition to the $30,000 awarded to Rios, the Wichita Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (WEJATC) received $5,000 as part of the apprentice category award.

“Congratulations to Corbin, what an accomplishment,” said Tony Naylor, training director for the Wichita Electrical Apprenticeship. “He is one of many incredibly talented people in our Electrical Apprenticeship Program.”

Rios entered the RA program through the Workforce Center in March 2015 when he was 33 years old with no post-secondary education and a family of four to support. Before entering the program he was making $10/hr. After completing his first year apprenticeship certificate his was earning $15.38/hr with benefits. Rios is currently employed at Shelly Electric.

“The Registered Apprenticeship program is an employment and training program where students earn wages while learning a skilled profession,” said Keith Lawing, president and CEO of Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas. “We are proud of the strong partnerships we have built with local Apprenticeships which allow the Workforce Center to provide opportunities for students to advance their career in trade programs.”  

RA is an ‘earn and learn’ model and is a proven system for training employees in a variety of occupations that require a wide range of skills and knowledge. It is an ideal way for employers to build and maintain a skilled workforce. RA combines employment, on-the-job learning, mentorship and related technical instruction to both educate and develop business and industries’ workforce. 

In addition to the Wichita Electrical Apprenticeship, the Workforce Centers partner with five other local RA programs to accept applications as well as screen and assess the candidates.

This week Sedgwick County opened its doors on the COMCARE Community Crisis Center at 635 N. Main.  This one-stop facility offers crisis mental health and crisis substance (drug and alcohol abuse) addiction services through a partnership with the Substance Abuse Center of Kansas (SACK).  Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Secretary Tim Keck spoke at the event along with Chairman Howell and a family member of someone who has received COMCARE services. 

Sedgwick County’s Open Finance initiative includes two website applications – Open Spending and Open Budget. Open Spending allows the public to search and review Sedgwick County government's revenues and expenditures for the current year (updated weekly) and previous five years. Users can identify revenues and expenditures by category, fund, functional area or vendor, and can view a summary of any single transaction. Open Budget allows the public to see how actual expenses and revenues compare to planned revenues and expenses. Open Budget also includes information on larger Capital Improvement projects.