Oleksandr Pogovilov emigrated from Ukraine to the United States in 1999 and opened a successful dry cleaning business. After selling his company in 2019, he worked for Uber and Lyft for roughly a year, while also running a side business as a contractor for LED light installations. “Light installations was hard because sometimes two months would go by without a job”, stated Oleksandr. He decided to attend OACES (Office of Adult and Career Education Services) after a friend recommended an electrical class to him, saying it was a great class with an incredible teacher with many hands –on training opportunities.
While Oleksandr had some electrical knowledge from his time as a contractor, he did not have hands-on electrical training. Mr. Millington’s class was a perfect fit for him. He enrolled in early March 2020, then switched to online learning when the pandemic hit, focusing on electrical theory and code reading. Mr. Millington plans to include solar and wind power wiring into his curriculum this year.
“Mr. Millington is a great teacher with lots of experience and good critical thinking skills… he always had an answer right away. His knowledge is incredible and he passes it on to all his students. The hands on learning he provides has been most memorable”
After applying to 5 different positions as an electrical technician, he accepted a position with Gorbel in Henrietta. Gorbel is one of the Rochester’s top 100 employers. His responsibilities will include electrical wiring of ergonomic lifts, other safety equipment, and robotics.
“There is no limit with this company [Gorbel] and plenty of room to grow. This class helped me in my interview by using technical words, the processes of tagging, and overall electrical knowledge and safety protocols. These skills will continue to help me into the future.”
Oleksandr Pogovilov
