Godwin Heights — Just before junior Xzavier Guzman moved to a station where he would pound nails with a hammer, his science teacher Tonia Sorokin asked him a question.
“So, you are in physics class,” Sorokin said to Xzavier. “What would be the best place to hold a hammer to get the most force from it? Would it be closer to the hammer’s head, or at the end of the hammer’s handle?”
Xzavier would learn the answer by doing, as he participated in Schools to Tools, a touring program that allows students to experience what a career in the trades as a carpenter or millwright looks like, using hands-on and virtual engagements.
“Through this program, we are trying to give students a clear understanding of what the skilled trades are and what they have to offer,” said tour program head Bryce Cobb, a millwright with the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights. “Students get an opportunity to get hands-on experience through several different stations, and through virtual programs are able to explore what we do and the job sites that we work on.”
Skilled workers such as carpenters and millwrights, both of whom work on construction sites, are considered one of the 50 most in-demand jobs in the state, according to the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.
Hammering the Question
Funded through a state grant, Schools to Tools features a 44-foot bus that houses the virtual job site tours, information about skilled labor positions and an opportunity to try welding virtually. Along with the bus at Godwin Heights, there were four different hands-on stations: nailing, operating battery-operated power tools, framing and leveling. The final station had students put on personal protective clothing and get their picture taken as if they were on scaffolding.
At the nailing station, Xzavier competed with another student to hammer nails into a block. To answer his teacher’s earlier question, he learned that more force was provided by holding the hammer farther down the handle.
“It was interesting to see what happened,” said Xzavier, who tried the nailing competition several times. “The experience does give you an opportunity to think about other careers.”
That’s the goal, said counselor Kristi Bonelli, who helped bring Schools to Tools to the high school.
Bonelli said offering programs such as Schools to Tools opens opportunities for students to explore different careers and to learn about possible options for their next step after high school.
This Four-Year Degree Pays
Cobb called it the “other four-year degree,” where those who participate go through a paid, four-year apprentice program that has them working while attending school. Upon completion, students receive certification from the U.S. Department of Labor that will allow them to work anywhere in the country.
“I’ve actually been in Japan and Germany as a skilled tradesperson,” Cobb told students. He also noted several of his former apprentices have gone on to become project managers and superintendents.
Emely Bermudez said that while she is looking at going into nursing, she scored a 98% on the virtual welding program and liked trying it. “I feel like there are a lot of experiences in this (event), and that you get to do different things that you could consider for a career” she said. “And if you are really good at it, then you have some potential to do well.”
Read more from Godwin Heights:
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• Real-world scenarios meet STEM fun
