Blog right triangle ALEXA GARCIA CHAIREZ, 2022 AWARD WINNER

ALEXA GARCIA CHAIREZ, 2022 AWARD WINNER

ALEXA GARCIA CHAIREZ
CareerWise Youth Apprentice at Tolmar, Inc.
Colorado Apprenticeship Award Winner in the Apprentice Category

Highlights from Alexa’s Colorado Apprenticeship Award Submission:

Alexa’s contributions go beyond her immediate responsibilities at Tolmar as she seeks out opportunities for expanding her knowledge via multi-week projects and shadowing opportunities. Her efforts have highlighted how gaps in responsibilities may necessitate the creation of a Safety Technician role, for which she is already building the skillset.

Recently, Alexa has contributed to Tolmar’s efforts to expand awareness of their apprenticeship program by representing the apprentice voice in a USDOL-funded film. She has displayed a remarkable ability to communicate the value of apprenticeship to peers, sharing the ways in which she has been challenged and grown in such a brief time.

Alexa learned key skills that contribute daily to the Tolmar engineering team. She learned how to fabricate and weld. She has also learned how to component level solder and surface mount soldering of wiring. These skills have been extremely helpful for the Tolmar production maintenance team, and are also used to support our cross functional partners for various projects.

How has the apprentice positively impacted the overall organization/department/team (contribute to the employer’s organization, culture, or bottom-line)? Is there a specific project or instance that demonstrates this contribution?
Alexa has worked on several projects in the Tolmar machine shop. She helped Equipment Engineering with a project recently that involved a complete equipment build. The machine was designed in-house and Alexa played a key part in the assembly of the machine, performing surface mount assembly, soldering, and wiring of the equipment. This was an important part in getting the equipment ready on time to the individuals that needed it.

Alexa’s positive attitude and daily upbeat drive has been a significant positive influence for her team. Her teammates appreciate the dedication and hard work Alexa puts into everything she is asked to do.

How did the apprentice contribute to the diversity* of the company and/or industry? What impact did that have?
Alexa is a young woman of color pursuing a Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship in the Manufacturing Pathway. In a traditionally male-dominated space, she is excelling in the field, continuing to learn and grow, and striving to become a full-time maintenance technician.

Alexa brings her values, beliefs, experiences, and background to the Tolmar equipment maintenance team and is in alignment with Tolmar’s core values. She possesses natural mechanical and organizational skills that really support the diverse dynamic Tolmar is striving to create within the department.