AIM Magazine 2016 | Page 90

Mister Sparky offers technology , training , and top pay for new electricians .
“ We like to stay on the cutting edge ,” said Matt Carlton , Operating Manager of Mister Sparky , an electrical service and repair company . “ We want to improve ourselves and the company .”
Being on the cutting edge means the company uses as much computer technology as possible in its training and day-to-day procedures . All electricians have iPads that can be used to download the latest information and standards .
“ We have 20 trucks in three locations - Northwest Arkansas , Oklahoma City and Tulsa ,” said Aaron Hagan , Owner . “ We found our niche in residential electrical work .”
Out of 200 Mister Sparky franchises , Hagan owns the third largest Mister Sparky franchise in the country . The Springdale location handles all service and dispatching for the area , as well as Tulsa and Oklahoma City . Altogether , the company employs 40 people .
“ The difficult part is getting quality people ,” Hagan said . “ The ones we have are high quality . I have six master electricians on the job . They have a strong technical skill set .”
The company trains its electricians from the ground up . Two apprentices are working their way up to becoming certified electricians . Twins Will and Wyatt Whatley have been working for Mister Sparky for about a year .
“ We went to college after high school , but it wasn ’ t for us ,” Will said .
“ College is expensive and it ’ s not for everybody ,” Wyatt said .
“ There are other ways to be successful in life .”
The twins are working to earn their residential electrician licenses and journeyman licenses . Earning a journeyman license involves taking apprenticeship classes and on-the-job training while working full time with an electrical company . At the end of the classes , an apprentice must pass a test to become a journeyman electrician .
“ You can learn more on the job than in a lot of classes you take ,” Wyatt said . “ I ’ m better with hands-on learning . In that style , you go straight from books to the job . It ’ s easier to learn that way and makes more sense .”
Apprentices can get experience , schooling and be certified at Mister Sparky .
“ You can be 21 or 22 and on your way to earning $ 60,000 year ,” Hagan said . “ You have to be competitive about achieving your goals . You have to be mentally driven .”
After earning a journeyman license , an electrician can progress to master electrician . Each step requires passing a test . Some require additional classes .
Rachel Caffrey also worked as an apprentice at Mister Sparky after she graduated from the University of Central Arkansas .
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