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Vocational School Helping Students Build Careers

WILLIAMSPORT — Tiny houses have become all the rage across the country and students at Williamsport Area High School are building one themselves. The dist...
wmpt-tiny-house

WILLIAMSPORT -- Tiny houses have become all the rage across the country and students at Williamsport Area High School are building one themselves.

The district has one of the leading vocational programs in the state and the lieutenant governor would like to see other schools prepare students for careers after graduation

Williamsport Area high School knows there's a need for skilled trade workers right now and that's part of the reason why they give their students the option of learning a trade during high school.

It took some planning and help from their teacher, but Williamsport Area High School construction trade students are on their way to building a tiny house.

"It blows my mind that I built this on a computer and now it's a real life thing," said senior Mya Mitstifer.

"With the tiny house what we get to actually do is the interior finish with electrical, plumbing," said teacher Randy Williamson.

By the time the class is finished working, the house will be industry certified, meaning they will be able to prove they have the skills to start working right after graduation.

"A lot of the kids in the CT classes do that, they go out and get jobs right after high school," said senior Mikey Gardner.

"It's extremely important," said Williamson. "Obviously, there's a huge need out there for skilled labor right now."

Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack knows that too. It's part of the reason he stopped by the school.

With 14 current technology programs, the Williamsport School District is a leader in vocational training. Lieutenant Governor Stack sat down with school officials to find out what other high schools can do to help improve their trade programs.

"We are in line with what the governor office feels is important and we wanted to show them that the money that they are able to give us through public education that we will put that to good use," said Williamsport Superintendent Timothy Bowers.

Vocational school also helps students like Mya Mitstifer build future careers although Mya plans to go to college

"In this class, in construction class, I get to learn hands-on and I get to learn the planning and all that on the computer and on paper and all the numbers to be an architect."

The school expects to finish the tiny house by the end of the school year. That's when they will auction it if off.

The construction class hopes to get at least $10,000 to help offset the cost of building it,

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