- When students graduate high school, the next step can be a scary one.
- For some students, that path leads them to a 4-year university. Recent;y, others have discovered the trades.
- Video shows a Clinton County RESA welding class for those students interested in the trades.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm your neighborhood reporter here in St. Johns. After high school, students graduate, the decision after can be a difficult one. So, I'm here exploring two different options that students are taking.
For Saint Johns Senior Ryan Dimmick, his choice after graduation came easy after his wrestling career.
"After states this year, I got an offer from Kent State, went on a visit, and it just clicked," said Dimmick.
Signing with Kent State to continue wrestling, Dimmick sees it as the perfect opportunity to get his education while doing something he loves. That mindset is exactly what Senior Rex Purvis found in the Clinton County RESA welding program.
"I took all the classes I could through high school, and then I saw this class open up again, and I decided to join it and it just really opened up a lot of experiences," said Purvis.
Purvis and others in his class are taking on the trades. Jobs that are usually more hands-on and don't require a degree. A path that instructor Justin Vancourt says he respects deeply.
"The ones who are interested in making this a career, I will push them harder and put more opportunities in front of them to go above and beyond," said Vancourt.
Vancourt says if a student spends two years in the program, they have a higher chance to join the Local 25 or the Iron Workers Union. The students then work four years to obtain a journeyman's card, which would be the equivalent to a bachelor's degree. And for Senior Gavin Beals, this is exactly his dream for the future.
"Hopefully, I continue working at the Local 25 until I retire," said Beals.
According to the Pew Research Center, the total number of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college in 2022 was down by approximately 1.2 million from its peak in 2011, meaning that trades could be the way of the future.
Vancourt also mentioned that the CCRESA program serves all of Clinton County and is open to all students thinking about taking the course. For more information, you can click here.
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