Posted on 08/22/2023 7:50:58 AM PDT by CFW
Two students were recognized Friday, Aug. 11 for earning their high school diplomas and college certificates simultaneously through the Athens Technical College Academy.
Malachi Byrum of Madison County and Zachary Wood of Morgan County participated in the Dual Achievement Program through the Academy. Wood took courses locally in Madison and the ATC Elbert campus, earning the diesel engine service technician and diesel electrical/electronic systems technician technical certificates of credit. He plans to continue his education at ATC to earn a diploma in diesel equipment technology. Byrum took courses at the main campus in Athens and received TCC’s in gas metal arc welding and gas tungsten arc welding.
“My uncle was a welder, and I always used to hang around him,” said Byrum. “My high school didn’t have a higher welding education – they told me about the [dual achievement] program, and it was a lot better than high school. It gave me a chance to do what I liked, rather than sit in a boring classroom all day. I’m very hands-on and mechanically inclined…I’ve been working on cars since I was like 12.”
(Excerpt) Read more at wgauradio.com ...
It is just a small example of what can be done to help young students who are not on the "higher education" path by providing them an education in a field they not only are good at but also enjoy. Young Mr. Wood and Mr. Bryrum are now ready to enter the work force (Athens Tech helps their graduates find jobs in their field of work), in a well-paid job, and without mountains of debt.
I hope to see this program expand and allow more local high-school students to participate so they too can escape the indoctrination that leaves them with little but debt and no employable skills.
ATC's main campus is in Athens, but they have satellite locations in three or four surrounding counties. All these counties are very rural areas where farming and blue-collar jobs are about the only options available. Both of these youngsters chose fields in which employees are in high demand and for which they will be paid well.
We absolutely need more VoTech schools like this.
Congrats to them.
I try to tell young men I speak with to learn CAD & electricity/electronics, or to become linemen/plumbers/electricians/HVAC.
Sounds great. The problem is a skilled teenager may not be up to the demands of working like a robot 40 hours a week. Lots of distractions and adult issues he or she will have to catch up deal with. You just gotta tell them too many things. Working for smaller companies will help-more personal. I don’t see how a mechanic will enjoy reporting to the same cold, dirty shop and want to stick around too long while his buddies are out bumming’ around and having fun. It’s growing pains. At least it’s better than asking if you’d like fries with that.
They had a similar program for med school at Penn State, it was a five year, all year around program, where the students graduated with both their BS and their Med school degree in five years. The kid from my class in high school, who took part had perfect scores on his SATs and done a science project on the effect of radiation on the reproduction of fruit flies in 11th grade.
It is tough for a remotely motivated young man to be motivated when surrounded by lazy retards.
There’s always tech schools after HS when one figures out how crappy life is without money.
I don’t care about owning lots of things.
I care about working with intelligent, white males and not worrying if I can pay my bills and then some.
“and want to stick around too long while his buddies are out bumming’ around and having fun.”
Is that the case most of the time?
Money solves most of those issues
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