BELTON, Texas — There’s nothing like getting your hands dirty in the morning, especially when it comes with a little friendly competition on plumbing day.
”We brought in the industry to give them hands-on training and then they are responsible for their own projects,” said Michael Carrillo, Construction Careers instructor at Belton High School. “Then, they’re going to be judged on quality just like if it was the real world.”
Whether they were installing PVC or working with copper pipe, they all worked together to make sure it is done right because students like Andru Adade plan to take these skills into the job site after school.
”I know 4-year college isn’t for me,” said Andru Adade, Junior at Belton High School. “I don’t do the best in the classroom, and I know a trade, any of the trades, is a good way to make money.”
Andru is just part of a fast-growing trend that even the folks with Texas State Technical College, who came out to lend a hand, are seeing.
”Our enrollment has increased dramatically,” said Tony Montoya, Plumbing Instructor at TSTC. “To the sense that we’re actually hiring more instructors. I was one of the people that got hired within the last year because of the amount of enrollees in the program.”
With the growing demand for people in the trade industry, all the instructors have the same message.
”If you have a passion to work with your hands if you have a passion to work with a trade, follow that,” said Montoya.
Both TSTC and BISD say they are seeing an increase in enrollment and there is no shortage of job opportunities for students.
”You don’t always need a 4-year degree. There is a path in the construction trades,” said Carrillo.
