Poplar Bluff trade classes use students to save money - KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports

Poplar Bluff trade classes use students to save money

Posted: Updated:
Holly Brantley - bio | email
Past, welding classes built awnings that are placed around the district, and even constructed the work stations they use now. Past, welding classes built awnings that are placed around the district, and even constructed the work stations they use now.
Poplar Bluff School District and the Technical Career Center continue to expand their programs to give students experience and save the district money. Poplar Bluff School District and the Technical Career Center continue to expand their programs to give students experience and save the district money.

  • Most Popular StoriesMost Popular Stories

  • Friday, May 24 2013 9:27 PM EDT2013-05-25 01:27:45 GMT
    MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A man who wears thong underwear and a cape while riding his scooter through Wisconsin's capital city may be a strange sight.
    A man who wears thong underwear and a cape while riding his scooter through Wisconsin's capital city may be a strange sight.

  • Dan Sligh and his wife were in their pickup truck on Interstate 5 heading to a camping trip when a bridge before them disappeared in a "big puff of dust."
    The trucker was hauling drilling equipment when his load bumped against the steel framework over an Interstate 5 bridge. He looked in his rearview mirror and watched in horror as the span collapsed into the water behind him....

  • Friday, May 24 2013 10:26 PM EDT2013-05-25 02:26:51 GMT
    WALDENBURG, AR (KAIT) - A small Poinsett County town is coming together to help a man who was injured at a local business. Wednesday, a tire ruptured in David Newsom's face while on the job. Now his coworkers,
    Wednesday, a tire ruptured in David Newsom's face while on the job. Now his coworkers, along with members of the community are coming together to help him out.
    •   
POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) -

Poplar Bluff School District and the Technical Career Center continue to expand their programs to give students experience and save the district money.

Students learning a trade in everything from building projects to health screenings gain real world experience and in turn save the district thousands of dollars.

How? The students share their labor and skills and discover what it really means to work a trade along the way. Tuesday, Heartland News caught up with students in welding classes.

"If you don't know what you're doing, there's so many things that could go wrong," said Kenneth Smith.

Past, welding classes built awnings that are placed around the district, and even constructed the work stations they use today.

"When they get ready to leave here we want them to be ready to go to work," said Instructor Ron Pratt.

"There's not a price tag you can put on it," said Director Jean Winston. "We can teach theory all day long but until they get to that experience there's nothing that can replace it."

Education is the number one goal of projects, but in turn they save the district thousands of dollars. Students in Building Trades classes will take on a big project next. They will construct a classroom behind Oak Grove Elementary.

District leaders say that will save them about 50 percent on labor.

Students say they love showing off their work.

"That helps a lot because it's always good to help others," said Brittany Brooks.

TCC students come in from lots of different communities like Twin Rivers and Puxico. That is just a small taste of ways they students contribute.

Health Occupations students assist with medical screenings, Heating and Air classes help with maintenance and media classes assist with Summer school internships. Just some of the many ways students can sharpen their jobs skills and save the district and taxpayer dollars.

Copyright 2012 KFVS. All rights reserved.