On Wednesday morning, students from the Conant High School and Jaffrey-Rindge Middle School met with representatives from colleges and professions from all over the region during a career day.
In addition to practical demonstrations, students could also explore booths in the auditorium with representatives from colleges and universities, as well as large employers and recruiters from the armed forces.
In the parking lot, PHAZE Welding, based in Peterborough, gave students the opportunity for some hands-on experience. Dan Guillou, who owns PHAZE Welding and is also the lead teacher for ConVal Regional High School’s Region 14 Manufacturing III class, which focuses on welding, said introducing students to the idea of technical career options is crucial as they’re making decisions about their future.
For the past three years, in addition to working with Region 14 students, Guillou has worked with individual students from John Stark High School in Weare, Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative and Brookline-Hollis who are interested in working with welding after they graduate.
Students who take Manufacturing III finish the class with at least a qualification record, which is a certified copy of their training and proficiency levels, but students who put in the effort and wish to do so can also take the test to become certified by the American Welding Society, Guillou said.
Students from his class have gone on to be hired by local companies such as American Steel, or find work in industries making everything from food-service equipment to creating specialty staging for film and television sets and in the aerospace field, Guillou said.
“Bringing awareness that there are jobs and careers right here in their back yard, and that there are avenues for them to get the training they want, is key. We want to plant that seed, and get them thinking about it at the middle school age,” Guillou said. “I think we don’t spend enough time talking to kids about career choices. I know my daughter, when she was in middle school, no one was talking to her about what was going to happen next. It’s great to set them up for success later on.”
Guillou said a lot of students in the program head directly into careers out of high school.
“We have a good amount of employers throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts who recruit students directly through the program,” he said.
Ayden Laughton of Jaffrey, a senior at Conant, was one of the students who donned a welder’s mask to try out a simple weld with equipment provided by PHAZE. Laughton said he’s very interested in the welding field, and plans to get certification to make it his career after he graduates this year. He said he was unaware that Region 14 offered welding through its Manufacturing III class until this year.
“I would have taken it immediately,” Laughton said, but he said he was glad to have gotten the opportunity to try it at the career day. “It felt really good to be able to try it, and I’m happy with what I did.”
Other students, such as freshman Logan Hocter, who also tried his hand in the welding tent, were just exploring options, which, especially for younger students, was a goal of those who were there to answer questions about their career fields.
Shana Clark, a district chief with the state fire marshal’s office, attended the fair with Deputy Fire Marshal Adam Fanjoy and his arson K-9 Anthem to talk about a career in the fire service.
“Our job is unique, and a lot of people don’t understand what we do,” Clark said. “To be able to talk to kids when they’re still growing, exploring and learning, and let them see what we do, and the options, is important.”
Student Savanna Ward of Jaffrey sat in on a demonstration and talk from Clark and Fanjoy about the fire marshal’s office. Ward said she intends to seek higher education after high school, with a goal of possibly becoming a veterinarian.
“I’m just exploring,” she said, adding that it was helpful to see her options put in front of her.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertrancript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.