Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) welcomed a new class of Water Pipe Worker Apprentices yesterday. James Sykes, Tevita Moimoi, Tevita Puloka, Michael Calderon, Ivan Tyrsin, Brian McBain, Palko Rezucha, Jordan Workman, Victoria Asuega, Alex Navarro, Guy Durham, and Deonté Johnson will begin a rigorous, hands-on training experience that will prepare them for careers in the utility trades.
February 26 marked the first day of “First Class”, a 10-week onboarding program designed to set expectations, provide required safety training, and introduce apprentices to the tools and tasks of the trade. During this period, they will obtain their Commercial Driver Licenses (CDLs), complete the City’s Race & Social Justice curriculum, begin fieldwork training, and much more.
Todd Snider, SPU’s Apprenticeship Program Manager, addressed the new class, emphasizing the significance of their achievement in being selected.
“You 12 are the top candidates to emerge from a very competitive, very expensive, and very lengthy process,” Snider said. “You have all earned your chance at this important opportunity.”
Snider highlighted the time-honored tradition of apprenticeship, where knowledge is passed down from one skilled tradesperson to another.
“You are about to embark on a strong and proud tradition—one that dates back to antiquity, where one skilled craftsperson teaches and mentors another, by hand, the skills they learned over a lifetime,” he said. “From one generation to the next. That is apprenticeship.”
More than just a job, Snider encouraged apprentices to see the program as an education and a long-term career path.
“It will not always be easy. The work is hard, and wet, dirty, and often cold,” he emphasized. “It will take sacrifices to succeed. And when you are done, when you graduate, you will join a community of highly skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen. Your Journey card—like a college degree—once earned, can never be taken away. And I guarantee you, with your Journey card in hand, you will stand a little taller.”
The first day of First Class also featured remarks and a Q&A session with SPU General Manager and CEO Andrew Lee. Lee shared his own professional journey, reflecting on how his engineering background led him to public service and leadership at SPU. He emphasized the importance of the trades in keeping Seattle’s water infrastructure running and encouraged apprentices to take pride in their work and the impact they will have on the community.
As the program gets underway, SPU remains committed to investing in the next generation of utility workers and providing career advancement opportunities. Water Line of Business and Utility Operations & Maintenance Deputy Director Alex Chen shared that “Apprenticeship is an important part of succession planning at SPU. Every year, we’re either starting a two-year Water Pipe Workers or Drainage and Wastewater Collection System Workers Apprenticeship Program class.”
“After graduating from the programs, they have the opportunity to assess what their careers at SPU will bring and work with their supervisors to achieve their personal and professional goals. Encouraging all staff to have conversations about ways they can grow, develop, and learn new skills is something we strongly support at SPU,” concluded Chen.
Learn more about SPU’s Apprenticeship Program.