Carroll County students gained real-world experience working on a part for the WTPUD

JACKSON, TENN (WNBJ)-

For nearly fifty years, the Carroll County Technical Center has been teaching high school students technical skills.

The school has nine programs of study- auto body, automotive light repair, construction, marketing, culinary arts, health science diagnostic services, criminal justice, welding and manufacturing.

“It is very important because these are the kind of the opportunities that occur in the workforce. Students that go out and work and work, high paying, high skilled jobs need to learn the skills to be successful and be employed with future vocations," said the school's principal Joe Norval.

Students in the machining and manufacturing courses got an opportunity to design, create and manufacture an order of twenty-five steel lock-out safety plates for the west tennessee public utilities district.

Students in the painting and refinishing classes painted the parts.

“I was the one that helped design on a plasma cam to cut them out,” said senior Jake Bissen.

“The holes in them and like, the little shapes in them and all that, so. I did a lot of those," Senior Kaden Gibson said.

Jake Bissen and Kaden Gibson are have spent multiple years studying at the technical center. They both plan to pursue careers in the skills that they’ve learned.

“I am going to get a higher education, try to get a degree like at least a business degree or something in CNCing and then if I can buy my own machine, set up my own little workshop custom,” said Bissen.

“I'm going to go up to Ohio, to Lincoln Electric. Proceed more in my welding career and path," Gibson said.

During their time in the welding and machining class, the students work on projects all the time. They are currently working on grills and an anvil. Along the way they are learning skills that will help them when they graduate.

“When they leave this program, they can go to a factory and get a production one job. I mean, that's the best part about it. You know, it gives them a leg up on somebody that doesn't have any experience and they get meg, teg and stick wearing. They get their feet wet, said Machining and Welding Instructor Mitchell Whitworth.

Bissen say while their learning valuable skills they’re also having a lot of fun, “let’s just say it’s my favorite class. I mean when I go to school it's boring but here I’m wide awake, I'm running around. It's very fun.”