Federal Way High School students recently showcased skills they had learned in a pre-apprenticeship construction course that prepares them for trade careers.
The course is close to finishing its first full-year. Course instructor Larry DuFresne said it builds off the foundations of a traditional shop class, but then goes on to focus on a number of different specialized construction skills including laying drywall, electrical work and frame building, among others.
He said over the duration of the course, the high school juniors and seniors get the chance to earn several career certifications including forklift driving certification, OSHA 10 certification and flagger certification.
The goal is to get students apprenticeship-ready — and ready to quickly get involved with trade careers as soon as they graduate, whatever that may be.
Trade specialists are in high demand. These are often very well paying jobs for students who may want to join a trade instead of making a long-term and hefty financial investment in post-graduate education.
State Rep. Jesse Johnson (D-District 30) visited students finishing up the course on May 31 as students took turns demonstrating their projects and skills. In his role as a legislator, Johnson helped gain state funding for the pre-apprenticeship construction course.
Johnson told students that he went to college not really being sure of what he wanted to study, let alone know what he wanted to do with that education. Johnson said his dad was a career painter and he always admired that he left the house every morning and headed to a job that he loved. He hopes that students can find that same joy and passion in whatever they choose to do after high school.
Johnson said that he hopes the program encourages students to get into a high-demand career field and that it provides “an opportunity to make money and to provide for family at an early age.”
One 11th-grader, Samuel, and his partners, showed a length of internal house framing that they had constructed with two-by-fours. Samuel explained exactly why every piece of wood was where it was and why it needed to be there — for structural integrity, functionality and for other utilities.
Samuel said he did not have plans to go to trade school and rather wanted to go to college to study mechanical engineering. He said he still will use the skills he gains through the course later in his life. He reckoned when he is a homeowner in the future, he will be able to do his own home repairs, rather than having to hire an expert.
Federal Way High School junior Aaron showed Rep. Johnson what he had learned about how to correctly wire an electrical outlet. Aaron said before taking the pre-apprenticeship course, he did not really know about all the trades that exist and all of the careers he could pursue right out of high school. He said he had held some misconceptions about trade jobs and did not understand how lucrative the pay can be and how much mobility a career tradesman can have within different parts of the industry.
Now, Aaron has set his sights on a career as a tradesman. That way he can start investing in his future and his families, as well as maybe buying that Dodge Charger Hellcat he has had his eye on, he said.
Charissa Eggleston, facilitator of College & Career Readiness for the district, said part of the program was giving students who graduate the chance to be an apprentice with virtually every trade union in the region. She said even unions with waitlists, like the electricians union, will allow students from the pre-apprenticeship program to get their names on the top of the list.
The 2021 Legislature appropriated $2 million for school districts to purchase and install career and technical education equipment that expands career connected learning and work-integrated learning opportunities, according to Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
