
Koontz Electric Co. of Morrilton recently celebrated a graduating class of 12 apprentice electricians from the Arkansas Construction Education Foundation electrical apprenticeship program.
Each graduate completed 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 640 hours in the classroom. Five of the 12 Koontz employees have gone on to pass the Arkansas journeyman electrician exam, which graduates are immediately eligible to take upon completing the apprenticeship program.
The workforce development program is fully funded by Koontz Electric, which currently has 70 employees enrolled in electrical apprenticeship training. The company has produced 41 master licensed electricians and 38 journeyman electricians, with 75 percent of its 200-plus employees residing in Conway County.