Connections Program links high school students to building & construction trades

St. Paul high school students were able to sample careers in building and construction trades last week during their Spring Break. This program is part of the partnership with St. Paul Public Schools called the Connections program. High school students pay just $1 for the course that they can then apply the credits to either their high school or college transcripts. It is a great opportunity to show students the world of construction trades. Nine students attended the class where they met St. Paul Community College instructor Carl Zitzer. The college works with the Construction Careers Coalition to make this possible. Students got to try cabinet making where they worked with tools, as well the sheetmetal shop and the electricity shop. The high school students were paired up with college students at St. Paul College and got hands-on experience with the machines. This experience is important because many times high school students don’t know anyone in the trades and, often times, these classes are the first exposure to the world of construction. Pictured above is one of the high schools students performing some spot-welding on a box they created. To learn more about the Connections program, click here. To view all the photos from the students’ experiences, click here.