Episode 127: ‘Impacting Employees’ with David Wolke
In this episode:
Angela Gardner and Christi Powell engage with David Wolke, Vice President of Hill Electric, to discuss the company's effective strategies in operations management, safety, and workforce development. The conversation covers Hill Electric's career outreach programs, their strong partnerships with local technical colleges, and the unique challenges of operating in industrial and hospital settings. Emphasizing community involvement, inclusive hiring practices, and an employee-centric work environment, Hill Electric's commitment to training future electricians through programs like Coop University and focus on soft skills and safety standards are highlighted. Insights from both Hill Electric's leadership and personal anecdotes from teaching at Clemson underscore the powerful impact of supportive workplace relationships and community contributions. For more information, listeners are encouraged to visit hillelectric.net or connect with them on LinkedIn and other social media platforms.
Supported by: Hill Electric
Show Notes and Links:
David Wolke - Hill Electric Bio
David Wolke - LinkedIn
Hill Electric - Website
Hill Electric - LinkedIn
00:00 Welcome to Women Talk Construction
00:10 Meet David Wolke from Hill Electric
00:25 Workforce Development and Community Engagement
01:27 Advisory Boards and Industry Insights
02:42 Unique Challenges in Industrial Electrical Work
05:41 CareerTech Centers and Student Engagement
06:55 Supporting the Next Generation of Electricians
11:53 Hill Electric's Community and Employee Support
14:01 Unique Uses and Mentorship in Electrical Trade
14:53 Technical Training and Continuous Learning
15:26 Community Engagement and Soft Skills
18:56 Importance of Proper PPE
22:08 Connecting with Hill Electric
24:46 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
About David:
AB.S. EE, 7 yrs as Plant Engineer. 13yrs with Hill Hill Electric’s safety extraordinaire, David Wolke, has been with Hill Electric for over a decade, beginning as a project manager and later moving into the role of operations manager. In 2021, David was promoted to Vice President. David is a competent trainer for industrial and construction safety as well as electrical theory and the National Electrical Code.
David enjoys sharing his knowledge about safety with others through various courses and education. He has taught groups of high school students from Anderson I & II Career Technology Center about the practical side of lift safety and fall protection, giving them a sense of the “real world” and what contractors deal with on a daily basis.
Prior to Hill Electric, David was a plant engineer for several locations at a local manufacturing company. This experience in manufacturing operations has given him an understanding of the expectations and requirements to operate as a contractor in the manufacturing sector.
David and his wife are also involved in the children’s ministry at their local church.
He loves spending time with his family and coaching his two children’s sports teams. David and his family enjoy traveling as much as possible and especially enjoy skiing and going to the beach. When asked where he likes to travel, David quickly said, “Wherever we can find and experience a new place and as often as we can, which is not often enough.”
David also enjoys CrossFit and occasionally competes in CrossFit competitions.
