Rocky Coastal Electric, a small electrical contracting company in the Lewiston-Auburn area, has formalized a mentorship program that guarantees a spot on its crew for someone new to the electrical trade. The commitment, announced by owner and Master Electrician Corey Hunt, is designed to provide structured, hands-on learning until the mentee is ready to work toward licensing independently.
Hunt’s decision matters because it confronts a persistent challenge in the skilled trades: the gap between needing workers and having workers with the right training. Rather than waiting for a pipeline of qualified electricians, Hunt is creating one, one person at a time. The program pairs new hires directly with experienced electricians on real jobs, from panel work to service calls, and tracks each mentee’s hours and skills against Maine’s licensing requirements so their work counts toward advancement. Regular one-on-one check-ins ensure that progress is monitored and mistakes are corrected before they become costly.
Hunt’s own path illustrates why the model is personal. He began as a helper on solar installations in Massachusetts in 2014, later worked for a company called ESM, earned his Master Electrician license, and joined the IBEW, traveling the country with different union locals. “I got where I am because people ahead of me were willing to show me things instead of just handing me a task list,” Hunt said. “That’s the same reason I keep a spot open on my crew for somebody starting out. It costs me time up front. It pays back for years.”
The program is not a classroom course but a work assignment. New team members shadow licensed electricians on every job, not just for a training period, until they can run smaller tasks alone. Hunt meets regularly with each mentee to discuss what is working and what needs more attention. “I don’t think you can build a good electrician by just letting them figure it out alone,” Hunt said. “You also don’t build one by keeping them off real jobs too long. The balance is putting them next to someone who will correct their mistakes before those mistakes cost a homeowner money.”
Rocky Coastal Electric is not a large company, and Hunt is direct about the program’s scale. There will not be a large class of trainees at once. Instead, the company will keep one mentorship slot filled consistently as it grows, adding a second position once workload supports it. “I’d rather do this slow and do it right,” Hunt said. “One person who actually becomes a good electrician is worth more to me than filling seats.”
For the Lewiston-Auburn area, the initiative offers a replicable model. By embedding training in daily work and aligning it with state licensing, Hunt is not just filling a job; he is building a local workforce. The approach may be modest in size, but its implications are significant: it shows how small businesses can address the skilled trades shortage through deliberate, patient investment in people. As Hunt put it, the goal is not just a bigger business, but one that gives other people in the area the same kind of start he had.
