A local high school in Leesburg, Fla., has revived its Construction Academy, offering students a place to learn about the trade and make business connections while in school, the Daily Commercial reports. An $866,000 grant towards the school helped reinvent the program with a focus on providing students with practical, career-oriented experience.
Eighty students are in the program's six classes, which puts them on path to earn carpentry certification from the National Center for Construction Education and Research. The program also offers students certifications for plumbing, electrical, and other trades.
Officials chose carpentry for the core program in hopes that students might encounter these other fields and see something they like. Carpenters typically have a wider view of construction, the academy's primary instruction Dan McAuley said, and so that viewpoint was the best start.
The program allows students to learn the ins and outs of the business, how to market themselves, how to stay safe on the job, and hands-on skills. According to the Daily Commercial, 16 businesses are line up to interview students fro internships in April and the program is attracting attention from other local schools.
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