PHOENIX — It is a career that can help a job seeker and the community grow at the same time.
All around, the state is building - from new homes to businesses, and updates to the roadways.
But it takes a workforce to make it all happen.
"I mean, everybody needs an electrician," said Laura Varela. "Right off the bat, right? Like, there's... everything needs to be turned on, always."
It was back in high school that a light bulb went off in Varela's head after her teacher sparked an idea.
"'I think you'd be great for it, right? I think we need more women,'" Varela explained.
She was scouted by Corbins Electric here in Phoenix and is now in the second year of her apprenticeship program.
"I definitely recommend it for anybody," Varela said. "It's not as hard as it looks."
Varela is getting paid while she goes through the training.
"It's a four-year course," she explained to the Rebound Arizona. "So, while you're getting class hours, you're also getting your field hours... I like the fact that when we graduate this program, we're... we don't have to worry about college debt."
"I think this is a really good time to really re-think where you're at and think about your career and what type of opportunity you want in the long-term," said Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Chief Innovation Officer Jennifer Mellor.
Mellor is hoping the good pay, benefits, paid training, and more will encourage people to tune in to their upcoming event with their Build Your Future Arizona program on Thursday, February 25 at 10 a.m. - Construct Your Path: Skilled Craft Career Awareness Seminar.
"It's projected that we have about... we're going to need 155,000 jobs between now and the end of next year," Mellor explained.
She said there is a shortage of workers in jobs like carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and more. It is something Arizona needs to fix to keep up with the demand for growth in our state.
"Well, we've got a great, diverse group of panelists that are going to be participating... folks, like Laura, who are just starting out in their careers and then, more established folks that are going to talk about their journey and their path to get there," Mellor said about the upcoming seminar.
For Varela, she believes the career she started in high school will stay bright for years to come. She encourages other Arizonans to look into finding a trade that connects to them.
"Even driving around the Valley... you see so many cranes, all these job sites growing everywhere," Varela said. "I think that's a good feeling because... the more that the Valley grows, the more work that there's there."
If you would like to register for the free online seminar on Thursday to learn more about opportunities in the skilled trades industry, click here.
