October 23, 2024
By BARTON HENLEY & MEALAND RAGLAND-HUDGINS
Rutherford County Schools
LaVergne High School showed off its new welding lab with a ribbon-cutting Monday.
The only one of its kind offered by Rutherford County Schools’ Career and Technical Education Department, welding falls under the Advanced Manufacturing course cluster.
Welding is a high-demand job, but one that could quickly change the trajectory of students’ lives, Principal Dr. Theowauna Hatchett said. Projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that Tennessee is expected to have an average of 1,600 available welding jobs annually until 2032.
“Everything we offer at LaVergne, we want to say that when our students leave here, they are going to be successful,” she said. “Welding has set them up for that success.”
RCS has invested approximately $250,000 to launch the program.
The four-year pathway is as follows:
- Freshman Year: Principles of Manufacturing as a freshman
- Sophomore Year: Welding I
- Junior Year: Welding II
- Senior Year: Practicum or Work-Based Learning courses focused on manufacturing or welding
The program is led by Jason Bowers, a professional welder now in his second year of teaching at LHS.
Patrick Wade, president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology campuses in Murfreesboro and Smyrna, said approximately 30 LHS welding students are taking Dual Enrollment courses through his institution.
“We’re looking forward to having all of them continue what they have started here with us,” Wade said.
During the celebration, students were able to network with representatives from a variety of local companies, such as Triple Steel in LaVergne and Yates Services in Smyrna, as well as government and business leaders.
“If you were to come into the classroom and see the students and how much pride they take in the program, you’d see the difference you’re making in the lives of our students,” Hatchett told the crowd.