Bruce Moore Builds Career through CFPUA-CFCC Apprenticeship Partnership
For Bruce Moore, the opportunity to build his career while continuing his education was one of the reasons he chose to participate in the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) and Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) Apprenticeship partnership.
“I had a chance to build a career and education at the same time,” said Moore, a Pump Station Foreman at CFPUA.
Moore recently completed the 11-week classroom portion of the apprenticeship at CFCC. He will continue completing the hands-on portion of the apprenticeship at CFPUA, where he is learning from experienced employees and applying what he learned in the classroom.
“The classroom portion gave me more in-depth knowledge,” Moore said. “It really has helped me to do my job more efficiently.”
Moore said the classroom experience was strengthened by the hands-on learning he is gaining from CFPUA’s experienced employees.
“It has helped me tremendously, especially having these mentors,” Moore said. “They are very knowledgeable, and even the foremen and more experienced employees here are extremely helpful. They show us things we may not have learned in class.”
That combination of classroom instruction, hands-on training, and mentorship is a key part of the CFPUA-CFCC apprenticeship partnership.
“The apprenticeship gives us a structured way to grow our own technical talent,” said Heather Wochele, CFPUA Workforce Development Manager. “Employees learn the electrical theory through CFCC and then apply that knowledge through hands-on training and mentorship at CFPUA. That combination helps us develop the specialized skills we need while creating career opportunities for our employees.”
Employees do not have to arrive with all of the skills they need to succeed.
“We want employees who are willing to learn and grow, and we are committed to helping them do that,” Wochele said.
Through hands-on experience, mentorship, technical training and certifications, employees can continue building their skills and prepare for more advanced technical work or future leadership opportunities.
For Moore, that investment is one of the things that makes CFPUA a place he would recommend to others.
“If you want to get up, go to work and do something that you enjoy, CFPUA is the place to be,” he said. “They take care of their employees, and we take care of the public.”
Meet CFPUA at the Career Fair
CFPUA will be at CFCC’s Construction Apprenticeship Career Fair on Thursday, September 17, from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in the NA Building’s BB&T Auditorium at CFCC’s North Campus.
The career fair is an opportunity to meet CFPUA representatives and learn more about open positions.
“There are opportunities at CFPUA to build valuable skills, learn from experienced employees, and explore different career paths while doing work that directly serves our community,” Wochele said.
