This is the second article in a two-part series on workforce development programs available to high school students in partnership with the City of Scottsburg, the Scott County Economic Development Corporation and the Mid-America Science Park.
Dual credit opportunities and recognized employment certifications in technical fields are gaining popularity among Scott County high school students thanks to a local partnership with Ivy Tech Community College and the availability of a quality training facility at the Mid-America Science Park.
In addition to MASPark’s impressive Amatrol Industrial training lab, community leaders worked hard to bring an innovative Welding Institute to MASPark in 2014. Wanda Aldridge, an instructor with Ivy Tech, works with seven students from Austin High School and five students from Crothersville High School who are enrolled in a dual credit welding class. She teaches students several different types of welding, and perhaps most importantly, helps them understand and believe in their capabilities.
“The most important thing is getting students trained and interested in a future and a career, and the MASPark Welding Institute makes that possible,” said Aldridge. “They are not going to fall through the cracks. They are learning a skill they can take into the world and use to be a good citizen. They start out thinking they can’t do it, and by the end they can all weld.”
The current class from Austin and Crothersville includes two juniors who plan to come back next year for additional training, and 10 seniors, some of who will be returning to take additional courses through Ivy Tech. Two of the students plan to enlist in the military and will enter ahead of the game with a certification in welding.
Aldridge, an experienced welder herself, is preparing all of the students to complete the American Welding Society certification exam in May. In Fall 2015, 13 of the 14 Austin and Crothersville High School students received AWS certificates, which are recognized nationally by employers.
MASPark leaders and Welding Institute instructors have also developed relationships with regional employers like Jeffboat, Austin Tri-Hawk, Globe Mechanical, M&M Trucking and Ilpea, all of which need trained welders, especially those who have earned specialty certifications. Scott County students have a tremendous employment advantage due to the training they receive at MASPark.
“In some cases, a certification can turn a $9/hour job into a $22/hour job,” said Aldridge. “The welding equipment at MASPark is up-to-date. We can show students how to set up machines that are being used today, so when they start a job they already know what to do.”
Students are recruited to the program through open houses, job fairs, student project plans and word of mouth, and interest in the program is growing.
“We expect to train and certify even more students next year,” said Aldridge.
