“My goal is to create a place where everyone feels welcome, no matter where they’re from, and to build a stronger, more diverse community of skilled workers. Combining trades education with language instruction has been really powerful.” Oakley Van Oss teaches Welding and Construction at Summit County High School in Breckenridge, Colorado. His journey into … Continued
“What I love most about being a skilled trades teacher is having the opportunity to inspire students to explore and discover their passions, to recognize their skillsets, abilities, and talents, and connect them to real world 21st century internships and careers in the welding industry and skilled trades. As we prepare students for their futures, … Continued
“My passion lies in empowering students and equipping them with the skills they need to succeed not only as an employee but as a mentor, making teaching skilled trades an immensely rewarding journey.” Jared Massic teaches Welding at Maple Mountain High School in Spanish Fork, Utah. Growing up the youngest of nine, Massic loved LEGO … Continued
“I am most passionate about instilling in students the skills and mindset necessary to thrive in both their careers and personal lives. Beyond welding techniques, I aim to cultivate self-starting, resourceful individuals equipped with a spectrum of skills—from hard work and teamwork to personal finance and people skills.” Robert Pease teaches Welding at Fleming County … Continued
“I want our students to know they can travel anywhere in the world using these skills and make a great living for themselves and their families… The possibilities for opportunity and growth are endless.” Donna Newell teaches Welding Technology at Erie High School in Erie, Pennsylvania. Newell’s father trained her and sparked her interest in … Continued
“By expanding my program from the classroom, to the lab, to industry connections; the sky’s the limit for both my students and myself. Even now after having taught more than 3,000 students, there is still not a day I don’t want to teach.” Don Murrell runs the welding program at Garden City High School in … Continued
“Our students would say their greatest skill learned from our program is communication and work ethic. Those skills have allowed them to maintain a good relationship with their employers and be dependable employees. Our program is successful today because of our reputation. I have former students hiring our students and supervising them. I have students … Continued
“For the past several years, students at my vocational school had to be accepted into the program by an application process. This enables the students who truly desire to learn the trade of welding an opportunity to be successful in a very relevant profession within our community. Nothing feels better than knowing that you made … Continued
“The most rewarding thing for me is celebrating students’ successes. To see the joy when they finally master the skill is one of my favorite things about this job.” Blair Jensen has taught welding at Jordan Academy for Technology & Careers for the past four years. Jensen has many fond childhood memories of being on … Continued
“I have to be there pushing [students] through the difficult times, to help them see in themselves what I see in them. I’ve learned students may not care to learn until they know you care.” Aaron Ervin has taught welding for 10 years at Pike Lincoln Technical Center (PLTC), where he began his training as … Continued