CCC student Corbin Felsted received college credit for his apprenticeship and on-the-job training as an electrician. Courtesy photo.
FLAGSTAFF — Once Corbin Felsted returned home to Flagstaff after a church mission, he knew he wanted to work with his hands.
“I thought electrician would be great, but nobody would hire me because I didn’t have experience,” Felsted said.
Finally, a local electrical company put him through an apprenticeship program – a grueling process of trade school, homework every night and working 40 hours a week. He finished a four-year program in two years, and he set his sights on college.
“I always thought I’d go to college,” Felsted said. “There never was a question of ‘if’ it was a question of ‘when.’”
He’d read that another community college in the state gave college credit for apprenticeship programs, so, he approached Coconino Community College in his hometown to see if the college would accept any of his apprenticeship work experience as credit. CCC did, and now Felsted has 32 more credits toward a degree in higher education under his belt.
Ken Myers, Construction Technology Management faculty at CCC, helped Felsted secure the college credit for his apprenticeship experience.
“I think this is a great example of our college working with our community and industry to give those folks seeking advancement in education the opportunity to do so,” Myers said. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity that people can use workforce development as an educational component.”
Myers said Felsted is the first student to receive college credit for his apprenticeship experience.
“I see this as a stepping-stone for a lot of other students,” Myers said, adding that in Felsted’s apprenticeship program alone were several dozen other people who could qualify for college credit. “Not everybody, when they come out of high school, is ready for college, but after they’ve been in the industry for a certain amount of time, they may want to take the next step.”
To receive his college credit, Felsted had to prove that he completed his apprenticeship program and had 6,000 hours of on-the-job training to go with it, which he has done. He’s currently taking classes at CCC that align with an associate degree in Construction Management, and he continues to work as an electrician. The company he works for supports him to go to classes at CCC.
He and his wife Mallory just had their first baby girl.
“I married, and I didn’t want to sit around and wait for an opportunity to come,” he said. “It really has motivated me to be sure that I can support a family.”
Community college seemed the right choice for him, he added.
“I’d been out of school and wasn’t writing papers or taking tests,” he said. “It’d been a long time, and at that point, I wasn’t completely sure I wanted to go to university.”
Besides, there are plenty of opportunities with a two-year degree in the construction trades and careers that pay a livable wage, he said. CCC was close and affordable.
Going to college hasn’t been easy. He gets up at 7 a.m., goes to work, then to class, does homework and goes to bed late at night. Now, has a baby in that equation.
“I don’t sleep much,” he said, laughing. “But I know it’s going to be worth it.”
His options for the future have blossomed, and he’s still got a little while to make up his mind. After he completes his studies at CCC, he can transfer to Northern Arizona University to complete the requirements for a four-year degree in Construction Management and apply his work experience as a project manager. He’s also toying with the idea of a degree in Electrical Engineering. He also believes that, at some point, he might like to own his own contracting or estimating business.
“I’m kind of at that crossroads,” he said.
He credits his wife Mallory in much of his success. She’s been a major support, and she was already studying at NAU when they got married. She helps him study, offers tutoring help on subjects he struggles to understand, proofreads papers, and more.
“I’ve been blessed, and I know it,” Felsted said. “I’m very grateful to all the people who have helped me.”
He said he shows up and puts in the work. By doing so, he makes progress toward greater goals. And, as for advice to give to others about his journey, he said that often, people fall into a trap thinking that they can’t achieve their goals.
“Showing up and doing the work, eventually, you’re going to get there,” Felsted said. “Then, you can look back and be grateful for all that you’ve done and accomplished.”
For more information about CCC’s degree and certification paths in the construction trades, visit https://www.coconino.edu/paths/construction-trades