By Valerie Sliker, courtesy Wagener Monthly

Former Wagener-Salley High School (WSHS) graduates Richie Bailey, Jamie Poole and Oscar Rushton are excited about continuing the welding programs at Swansea High School (SHS), WSHS and South Aiken High School (SAHS) for the 2016/17 school year.  The three instructors intentionally collaborate to ensure their programs run closely together. They put in a lot of time together working out different processes, project based learning (PBL) curriculum and pacing guides for how the years are going to flow.  While the students don’t actually cross-participate, the instructors pace curriculum so they can turn to each other for problem solving, as well as recommendations.

Statistics show that the trade workforce is diminishing and people aren’t available to fill these jobs because they’ve been encouraged to get a college degree instead of developing a skill.  Far too many students are graduating college with too much debt and a scarcity of jobs available.  Career and Technology classes are making a come-back and proving to support the jobs that become the backbone of America. 

High school welding students are graduating with the knowledge of an entry level welder, not requiring further education to grab a job.  WSHS Welding Instructor Richie Bailey encourages his students to attend Aiken Tech for welding or industrial maintenance, free with the Life or Hope scholarship, and about 70% did last year.  However, he adds, “Kids need to understand that you can be successful with a trade.  You can make a lot of money in the service industry.  The sky is the limit.  If you have the desire and the work ethic, you can be successful without the four-year college.”