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November 13-19, 2017 is National Apprenticeship Week. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, this week is a national celebration that offers leaders in business, industry and education the chance to showcase their programs and support for apprenticeships. Weekly events are held across the nation to show that a model of apprenticeship just works to train the next generation of electricians, carpenters, plumbers, millwrights and other construction professionals!

Here at Encore Electric, we’re taking this week to highlight the stories of our employees, many of whom came through the electrical industry via an apprenticeship in the trade. Read their stories below, and keep checking back throughout the week to read more stories from the men and women of Encore Electric.

Remember, if you’re an experienced apprentice or want to become one, get in touch with us today – we have career opportunities now!

Jabriel Stephen Adam Dale


– Jabriel Foxworth, Apprentice

I started working to go into art, but that didn’t work out. So I got my CDL Class A License but I didn’t want to do that long term – I need a good career. I had to do something but I had no experience. 

I came across a program called The Master’s Apprentice and went through their program where I checked out a bunch of different trades, but I always wanted to do electrical. The moment I found out about Encore, that’s where I knew I wanted to go. In electrical there’s always something a bit unexpected. 


I started off my apprenticeship working in the afternoons after I went to my high school classes in the morning my senior year. I worked in the company’s prefabrication shop. The week after I graduated I moved out to the field full-time, my first job being in Cherry Creek. Total I went to about 2.5 years of schooling (this was before the four-year requirement). 

Once I had all of my hours I made the swap to Encore Electric. After taking a Journeyman preparation class offered by Encore, I passed my Journeyman’s test on my second try, with 90 minutes still remaining when I submitted all of my answers. I had made it.

Shortly thereafter I saw an email from Encore asking about if anyone was interested in coming into the office as an estimator. I had always thought how I liked working with electrical, but the office environment might suit me better.  I now am able to use all of the skills I learned out in the field to help our company get jobs that we can be successful as a company with. It’s a good feeling knowing my work is helping other people, like me, keep busy and keep their rewarding jobs. 

– Stephen Schwengel, Estimator


– Adam Dillman, Estimator

I started with Encore in 2005 as a  1st year Apprentice.  My first job was a 30,000 square foot house.  From there I went to Porter Hospital, then worked a couple jobs in Aspen where I stayed for a year and half.  I then came back to Denver and worked on the Four Season Denver project.  On that project I was asked help coordinate between the field and our CAD department with the 3D BIM. 

That role slowly morphed in to a Project Engineer role, which I did for about a year when I was asked to come into estimating for 6 months to learn how to estimate.  Once I started estimating I realized that that this is where I wanted to stay.  Seven years later, I’m still here.


About 33 years ago, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted earn some extra money helping him and his coworker re-wire apartments in a converted Victorian house in Manitou Springs. After a few weekends of working on these apartments, my friend’s coworker, a Master Electrician, was planning to start his own company and asked me if I wanted to become an apprentice electrician. Since I really enjoyed this kind of work I said yeah, so I quit my job as an auto parts salesman and started my career as an apprentice electrician.

I began a correspondence apprenticeship program since there was no formal apprenticeship school back then. Two years into the trade I passed the Residential Wireman exam, another 2 years I passed the Journeyman exam, and another 2 years passed the Master exam and now the Training Manager at the best Electrical Contractor in the country.

Over the course of my career, I have had the opportunity to learn and work in many different areas of the Electrical trade and I continue to learn every day. In 1984, I followed an opportunity and it eventually became my passion.    

– Dale Weis, Training Director

Encore Electric