A clear sky. Low 61F. Winds light and variable..

A clear sky. Low 61F. Winds light and variable.

Students from 18 high schools from all over the Central Valley visited the Tulare/Kings Counties Trades Day at the Porterville Fairgrounds on Tuesday.

Trades Day was sponsored by the Tulare County Office of Education, TCOE, and the Construction Industry Education Foundation, CIEF.

The young men and women visiting the show were really enthusiastic and enjoyed learning about the various trades and opportunities that are open to them. Nicholas Prieto, 16, from Orosi High said, "It was good, because the exhibitors provided us with a lot of career opportunities, and told us where they are located, and how to get a hold of them. The majority of exhibitors are engineering companies and welders.”

Geo Flores, also from Orosi High, said he was interested in construction and the Welding program at College of the Sequoias. "I feel that this is a great hands-on experience for people who want a job in the trades," he said.

Enrique Rodriguez from Lindsay High was wearing a Virtual Reality headset and wearing remotes on his hands, and he was learning how to use a skill saw, which you could see on a computer screen. It's a new way to teach skills using the technology from Transfr, Inc.'s "Creating a classroom to career Pathway through Virtual Reality."

All of the students seemed to be enjoying themselves and learning about the engineering, electrical, metalworking, welding and Southern California Edison exhibits, as well as Sierra View Medical Center's CPR exhibit, and the exhibits and hands-on activities from Visalia Ceramic and other building companies.

"The trades are a good way for someone to make a living," said Matthew Zabalza, from the Sheet Metal Workers Local No. 104. "There are good benefits and retirements. And the people are hardworking and respectable, and good to work with."

Jose Ibarra, from Lindsay High, was enjoying working with sheet metal. "This has been a very great opportunity. I've learned a lot about working with sheet metal, and I'm really glad I had a chance to come here."

Irene Ortega, communication and community engagement officer for the Burton School District was at the Trades Day as a district representative and chaperone.

"I feel like this is a great experience for students, the hands-on learning at this trade show,” she said. “I love that the students get to build, and work with the machinery. It excites them about the possibilities of working in one of these trades. And it also gives these kids a good idea about what is available to them besides college."

From Summit Collegiate High School, Ignacio Lucero, 16, said he was interested in the electrical exhibits and the welding, which he enjoyed. He grew up with his father and brothers working in construction, and his brother is an electrician, and his father is a project manager for Western Water. He thinks being an electrician is great, but wants to work his way up, and be an electrician in the Bay area.

Jordan Church, a senior from Strathmore High, was working on a sheet metal pencil box, which was made of aluminum. "I like the techniques they use to bend metal, and I love the experiences like this that allow teens to explore their career options," she said.

Olliver Jordan from Hanford High School stood with a bunch of his friends and was taking a selfie. He said, "This is fun. It is definitely worth missing school for. It's a great learning experience." He said they were all interested in hands-on electrical work.

Anais Ceballos, from Monache, was looking at the Sierra View CPR and AED training dummies, and used her hands to do the chest compressions on one of the dummies, while other students watched. She said, "It is really important for students to learn at a young age what to do in an emergency when you need to do chest compressions."

Daniel Figueroa, Burton School District board president said he was interested in promoting the trades during high school and wants to bring trade programs back to the schools systems. He believes the trades are a wonderful outlet for young people to learn how to make a living.

Chris Huff from the COS Welding Program said a lot of students want to learn a trade, but at the same time they can also learn a career.

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.