Fannin County High School students are shining in a new trade thanks to this year’s addition of a welding program in the Career, Technical, Agricultural and Education (CTAE) Department.
Through the program, students have completed multiple projects including welding a smoker, which was sold for a profit.
“The neat thing about the smoker is that every single kid in every single class actually worked on that smoker at some point,” Welding Instructor Terry Flowers said. “They may not have realized that the piece that they were cutting out, the piece they were grinding on or painting was part of the smoker, but it was. I made certain that every single kid had a hand in the cooker.”
Before the smoker was given to its new owner, the class performed a bit of quality control by cooking out to ensure they were turning over a quality product.
The program has proven to be popular among students, and educators across the school have noticed its success. CTAE/Engineering/Video Teacher and School Governance Team member Bubba Gibbs is one of those educators.
“I’ve been here 14 years, and I personally don’t think we’ve done anything in this school to be more impactful to lives than this,” Gibbs said. “A boy who I had in engineering class, he brought his welding tool belt for me to sign this year, and he was pictured by the smoker there. He brought me a bratwurst and a hot dog from the smoker. He’s so proud of what he’s doing. More than I’ve seen anybody at anything inside this school system. The jobs are plentiful. It is absolutely amazing.”
The students also chose to design and weld a picnic table for the school, and they’ve even been able to use scrap parts to craft fun holiday items, including horseshoe pumpkins, turkeys and reindeer, for the students to sell and make a profit for the program.
“I love this program, and I love my students,” Flowers said. “I am so grateful for my opportunity to watch these young professionals grow and develop their skills as welders and tradesmen. I am also grateful for all the support we are getting from the community to give these kids the best opportunities possible.”
The students involved have an opportunity to learn a new skill, but also to potentially gain certifications through the process.
Flowers hopes to grow partnerships with Georgia Trade Schools, OSHA, Chattahoochee Technical College, Blue Ridge Parade of Homes and more as the program continues to grow.
He specifically hopes to provide students with an OSHA 10 certification.
“An OSHA 10 can start a career,” he said. “Not just get you on a job site.”
11th grade student Luke Daves, like many other students in the program, has learned new traits through the welding process. He said, “The welding program means a lot to me because it teaches me the importance of patience and other life skills. Most importantly, it teaches me the skill of welding, which I have always wanted to learn.”
11th grade student Chris Gaitanoglou echoed Daves, stating, “This class, in my opinion, is a very important class because I think welding is an important skill to know. The class has taught me to be patient while welding and that you cannot rush welding. It is a very fun class.”
School System CTAE Director Lucas Roof believes there is something for every student through the high school’s CTAE department, and he’s appreciative for all those who were involved in bringing the welding program into the school system.
“Our welding pathway, like all of our pathways within our Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) department, is helping to prepare students for life after high-school graduation,” Roof said. “A lot of unseen work went into starting this welding pathway, and I am extremely thankful for everyone who had a part in turning an idea into reality. I am proud of Mr. Flowers for what he has done so far; I am proud of the welding students as well.
“The students are thriving, and the welding program is only going to get better under his guidance. All of our CTAE teachers are phenomenal. It is a pleasure working with them each and every day. We have something for every student within our CTAE program.”
Interested students and parents can check out all the CTAE program has to offer within their course catalog at www.fannin.k12.ga.us/ctae.