Powering Potential: How IES Texas Inspired Future Electricians at Sidney Lanier High School

What sparks a student’s interest in the electrical trade? Gilbert Cardenas, Project Manager at IES Texas, visited Sidney Lanier High School to share his inspiring career journey and shed light on construction opportunities through the P-TECH program. Discover how his story made an impact.

There are many fulfilling and lucrative careers in the construction industry. IES C&I is developing strategies to better inform high schoolers of opportunities in the electrical trade as an alternative careerand IES Texas is the tip of the spear. One example worth highlighting comes by way of a partnership with a program that recently hosted Gilbert Cardenas, Project Manager of IES Texas, to discuss his career path. Gilbert served as a guest speaker at Sidney Lanier High School in San Antonio, Texas, to promote construction sciences through a program called P-TECH, or Pathways in Technology for Early College and High school students.

Gilbert walked the students through his career trajectory as someone who started learning the trade before joining the military. When he returned from serving, he applied at an electrical contractor company (now IES) that he walked by every day while heading to school.

The students in attendance said they loved learning about the electrical side of construction. “It was very informative knowing that I can be a project manager in construction,” one student said in their evaluation, “even the electrical aspects.” Construction Science P-TECH students are set up to launch construction careers as soon as they leave high school. Many can earn associate degrees or Level 1 or 2 Certifications along with their high school diplomas. They learn about advances in construction technology, construction management, and the benefits of power generation and alternative energy. Most of the students that Cardenas spoke with were ninth graders.

Early exposure to construction career opportunities will provide these young men and women with options. One day, maybe someone from the program will walk into an IES Texas office and apply, similarly to Gilbert.

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