IBEW Local 103 Scholarships
Colin Hogan, Sophia Barbosa enter five-year apprentice program at Bent Electric

Somerville, MA – Seniors Colin Hogan and Sophia Barbosa, standout electrical students in the Somerville High School’s Center for Career and Technical Education (CTE), were selected for the IBEW Local 103 pre-Apprentice Partnership Program at Bent Electric. The apprenticeship is a five-year program in which participating students become members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. IBEW Local 103 represents all of eastern Massachusetts.

Under the guidance of SHS Electrical Instructor Frank Zagarella, Sophia and Colin demonstrated exceptional leadership skills as members of a six-student contingent mastering the Electrical trade. They also earned a number of accolades this year. Sophia and Colin each were awarded a Manuel Moreira Memorial Award at this year’s Senior Vocational Awards Banquet. Sophia earned the Director’s Award as the top Electrical student in the class this year. Colin was awarded the 2014 Vocational Achievement Award, and was also an active CTE Ambassador, promoting the Career and Technical Education program to incoming students and the Somerville community. Both students began their apprenticeships with Bent Electric in Somerville, earlier this week.

“Colin and Sophia are continuing in the tradition of previous Somerville High School students who have excelled in our electrical program, and are now moving on to the next step in their professional careers to become licensed electricians,” stated CTE Director, Leo DeSimone. “Bent Electric and IBEW Local 103 have been outstanding partners in helping our students reach their professional goals. I have no doubt that Colin and Sophia will excel in this program and in their future career endeavors.”

IBEW Local 103’s pre-Apprentice Partnership Program is a highly competitive and widely-recognized program that guarantees students a rigorous course load that includes 10,000 hours of on-the-job training and results in the completion of a Journeyman License. Students earn competitive wages throughout their participation in the program.

“We’re very appreciative of IBEW Local 103’s and Bent Electric’s continued partnership and support of our students through the years,” commented Somerville Public Schools Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi. “These types of partnerships are what make Somerville such a great place for students to learn and prepare for a lifetime of success in their chosen fields. Congratulations to Colin and Sophia for their outstanding work at Somerville High School and for earning the opportunity to participate in the IBEW 103 apprenticeship program. We look forward to hearing about their continued success in the years ahead.”

“Somerville Schools are dedicated to providing hands-on learning for students, and this pre-apprenticeship program directly supports this kind of education that prepares our youth to become productive members of the workforce,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. “We owe our thanks to IBEW Local 103 and Bent Electric for continuing to partner with our schools through this program, and provide standout students like Colin and Sophia an opportunity to further hone their skills.”

“We continually look for the best and brightest students to bring into Local 103 IBEW and to enter our program, which we regard as second-to-none in the construction industry,” added Michael Calder, IBEW 103 Business Agent. “It is vitally important for Local 103 to reach out to our vocational schools to get the next generation of our membership. Our five-year apprenticeship program offers these young members a chance in the electrical industry that puts them on a path to a long and prosperous career in this ever-changing industry.”

The mission of the IBEW Local 103 is to provide the most skilled and productive workforce in the world, while protecting the rights and benefits of every worker. IBEW 103 bases much of its success on training and developing workers who deliver on-time and on-budget projects, and who foster a safe working environment. IBEW members and contractors have been lighting the skyline of Eastern Massachusetts for more than 100 years. More recently, Local 103 has become the industry leader in emerging markets such as Wind Power and Solar energy.