Students at North Powder High School prepare for their futures in more ways than one. As graduation and other end-of-year celebrations crept around the corner, students enrolled in the Traditional Woodshop, Advanced Construction, and Geometry in Construction courses worked diligently, spending every spare minute trying to finish their final projects: building structures and building octagonal picnic tables.
Seth Bingham, a teacher in North Powder Schools, oversees the Shop Skills and Advanced Construction classes along with other responsibilities. Bingham shares that these courses are becoming more valuable as local businesses become more involved with the school’s programming, offering feedback about the specific skills they would like to see in future employees. “The industry is crying for it, and the school is adjusting to respond,” he shares.
Bingham mentions that some of the skills desired are related to the fundamentals of building, like being able to accurately read a tape measure and having general understanding of the process behind designing something and creating it. This is where courses like Geometry in Construction are especially helpful; They allow students to make connections between construction and geometry and use concepts of math to improve design. Other qualities employers look for are honesty, dependability, and the ability to work well with others. While this helps build a stronger, more skilled workforce, the benefits of offering classes like these extend beyond that alone.
This is an equally beneficial opportunity for North Powder students, offering them a wide range of experiences in a supportive environment. Some already had firsthand experience and joined the class to refine their skills. Others were exploring the trades for the first time, sparking curiosity and building their confidence in a new skill set. Due to the hands-on nature of these classes, students get a better sense of whether this type of work is something they could see themselves pursuing long-term.
“I personally want to attend a trade school after I graduate, so it’s been nice to learn some of those skills."
Livie
“I learned the importance of precision, instead of having a ‘Well, that’ll do!’ attitude. Construction is more second nature, but the roofing was a whole new thing for me.”
Lance
“The welding has helped me more than wood-working, personally. Something useful I learned is that I needed to use different amperages for different things.”
Cash
