SPRINGDALE, Arkansas — Tuesday, Springdale Public Schools hosted their Career and Technical Education Signing Day.
The signing day recognized students as they committed, "to apprenticeships and employment positions such as plumbing and electrical apprenticeships, pastry chefs, fabrication welders, industrial maintenance specialists, machinists and environmental service technicians with multiple Northwest Arkansas employers at the event."
"We're focused on making sure that our students get applied work, earn while they learn, and chances to meet our business industry partners who are ready to employ them and educate them moving forward," Superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland said.
Over 50 students from Archer Learning Center, the Don Tyson School of Innovation, Springdale High School, and Har-Ber high schools participated in this year's signing day. Among the students and future CTE leaders were Max Tisher and Brandon Castro, students at the Don Tyson School of Innovation. Both are headed to Brunner & Lay in Springdale which began as a Blacksmith shop in 1888 and is now the "World’s Largest Manufacturer of Paving Breaker Tools." Castro will be an apprentice machinist and Tisher will be a forge technician at Brunner & Lay after graduation.
"It means a lot," Castro said of the signing day event. "I really didn't know what I was going to do after high school and this opened up a path for me."
"It's work, which sounds pretty surface-level. But for, for me, I've never had a job where I've had to work so hard for my money," Tisher said. "It really is just the start of my life, and I think I have so much opportunity there."
For many like Castro and Tisher, Springdale Public Schools' Career and Technical Programs connected them to industry partners early on in their education. It's an approach Dr. Cleveland explained is part of a new wave of education.
"Career and technical education is literally getting into the workforce, every single day," Dr. Cleveland explained. "Where students are out in the field with subject matter experts earning while they're learning."
Brunner & Lay Director of Human Resources Ken Stuckey attended the event and says the company is pleased to see homegrown talent join the industry.
"We have got a career path for young people that will get them into what I guess you would term college-type salaries," Stuckey said. "We're not against four-year colleges, but we really think that people should take a second look at the trades."
Stuckey explained that the manufacturing industry is growing as the country focuses on making products within the US. He explained Brunner & Lay is committed to that with production focused in Springdale and warehouses around the country providing products for the US.
"This young group that's coming through the schools now and through technical education and through to your schools, they're finding the path is wide open, because of the aging of a lot of manufacturing people," Stuckey said.
"Young students, they have energy and they're ready to go," Dr. Cleveland said. "Our kids today, in our public school classrooms are being prepared for jobs that don't even exist today, and I think they're going to be creators of jobs in the future that don't exist today. They're entrepreneurs who are ready to work."
Many of the students have already been working part-time and will start their full-time careers right after graduation. As their event grows every year, the school district invites students and industry partners to make their commitments on future signing days.
"To any of my fellow students or anyone considering taking a risk like this, it is seriously just a great opportunity. I did this, it's my first year doing this and I made it to signing day," Tisher said.
According to the district's press release, Career and Technical Education Signing Day participants include:
Archer Learning Center
- Adriana Aldaco: Crossland Construction, Apprentice Carpenter
- Josef Ramirez: Marr’s Electric: Apprentice Electrician
Don Tyson School of Innovation
- Gabriel Alvarado: Springdale Public Schools, Instructional Assistant
- Jacob Barnett: Northwest Arkansas Sheetmetal, Fabricator
- August Burns: Springdale Public Schools, Instructional Assistant
- Brandon Castro: Brunner & Lay, Apprentice Machinist
- Emiliano Castro: Kimbel Mechanical Systems, HVAC
- Jasmin Coronado Lopez: Springdale Public Schools, Instructional Assistant
- Chance Earp: Brunner & Lay, Apprentice Machinist
- William Graef: Rise Baking Company, Information Technology
- Brady Henson: Springdale Public Schools, Instructional Assistant
- Kyle Hernandez: Stribling Equipment, Diesel Technician Apprentice
- Austin Holt: Allied NWA, HVAC
- Rita Hudson: Springdale Public Schools, Instructional Assistant
- Hamzah Imbrahim: Kimbel Mechanical Systems, HVAC
- Christian Mata-Venegas: Kimbel Mechanical Systems, HVAC
- Brad Sparrow: Walmart Transportation, Diesel Technician Apprentice
- Kaylee Tharp: Springdale Public Schools, Instructional Assistant
- Max Tisher: Brunner and Lay, Forge Technician
- Aaron Thomas: Kimbel Mechanical Systems, HVAC
- Matilyn Townson: Springdale Public Schools, Instructional Assistant
- Epifanio Trejo Flores: Multi-Craft Contractors, Fabricator and Welder
- Jose Velazquez: Allied NWA, HVAC
Har-Ber High School
- Hayden Burton: Davis Plumbing, Apprentice Plumber
- Donna Jones: Maples at Har-Ber Meadows, Certified Nursing Assistant
- Deon McDaniel: Kimbel Mechanical Systems, Apprentice Plumber
- Oscar Mendieta: Lightspeed Electrical Services, Technician
- Conner Nichols: Kimbel Mechanical Systems, Electrician
- Kemella Sayger: Elite Home Health, Certified Nursing Assistant
- Isaias Torres: Kimbel Mechanical Systems, HVAC
- Sydney Wonnacott: Maples at Har-Ber Meadows, Certified Nursing Assistant
Springdale High School
- Dylan Artley: JD Enterprise Foundation, General Laborer
- Angel Bueno: Marr’s Electric, Apprentice Electrician
- Angel Bustamante: Multi-Craft Contractors, Apprentice Electrician
- Arthur Clark: Marr’s Electric, Apprentice Electrician
- Nickalus Collier: Springstreet Grill, Pastry Chef
- Andrew Galvan-Cendejas: Marr’s Electric, Apprentice Electrician
- Kelvin Gomez: Ground Zero Construction, Utilities Technician
- Jose Leon: Multi-Craft Contractors, Apprentice Electrician
- Hallie Lieutard: Mercy, Patient Care Technician
- Mickey Makabe: Tyson Foods, Cornish Tray Packer
- Kerwyn Mathews: ORC Products, Machinist
- Mario Melquiades: Multi-Craft Contractors, Apprentice Electrician
- Damian Mendoza-Razo: Tyson Foods, Industrial Maintenance
- Dylen Pike: Marr’s Electric, Apprentice Electrician
- Zoe Rogers: Northwest Medical Center, Environmental Service Technician
- Dakota Reed: Kimbel Mechanical Systems, HVAC
- Bryson Scott: Marr’s Electric Apprentice Electrician
- Devon Tincher: ORC Products, Machinist
- Augustin Torres: Emery Sapp & Son, Concrete Finisher
- Fausto Vela: J & J Construction, Construction-Truck Driver
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