STARKVILLE – First-year students in the welding career technical education program at Starkville High School are beginning the semester with sparks flying.

They are already getting hands-on rotations and practice in welding basics using quality equipment and the newly revamped welding booths that have been built and outfitted by students in the program. In addition to practicing skills, students are also engaging in practical beginning welding projects to create custom hooks and hangers to house the lab’s welding materials.

The Welding program is one of 13 CTE programs available at SHS through the Millsaps Career and Technology Center. Mississippi offers a special CTE diploma endorsement for students who graduate high school having completed a 2-year CTE program.

The welding program, now in its fourth year, has seen a steady stream of students becoming two-year completers with an interest in pursuing the trade at community college. It has also attracted some female students, which follows the state’s emphasis on attracting non-conventional students to CTE programs.

Welding instructor Mitchell Linley said improvements in the program’s CTE lab have been possible, in part, because of how students have performed in the program and the national certifications earned. In the program’s first year in 2023, 44 of the 47 students enrolled earned the National Center for Construction Education and Research CORE national certification, which Linley said provided some additional state funds.

Through those funds, students worked on designs for updating the lab and Millsaps was able to purchase materials. The continued work of the students has brought the new welding booths to fruition, creating a better learning experience.

“These booths allow the students to weld in multiple positions (flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead) as the table will both swivel and slide up and down,” Linley said. “This is necessary because you as a welder would need to pass a weld test to gain employment, and depending on the employer, you might have to pass a test in multiple if not all positions.”

The welding program allows sophomores, juniors and seniors to learn the basic trade skills needed for welding and earn national certifications needed to pursue a career in construction after high school.

Linley said the NCCER CORE certification is transferable to the collegiate level where a student could save both time and money by skipping ahead in any trade they might decide to take whether they choose welding, HVAC, machining, industrial maintenance or others.

Completers can also earn the NCCER Welding Level 1 as well as OSHA 10 certifications. These types of certifications are required for further education in trade skills as well as on construction job sites, putting students at an advantage in pursuing their next steps after high school.

“This is what is great about programs like welding,” Linley said. “Even if a student decides not to be a welder, it opens the door to the world of trades and gets them thinking about the future and what they are capable of doing after leaving high school.”

During the first year in the program, students learn safety measures, setup procedures and techniques used in various types of welding. As they grow their skills, they will participate in joint real-world and community service projects with the SHS Construction CTE pathway to gain experience.
Upperclassmen also have the opportunity to participate in work-based learning opportunities, which pair students with local businesses and industry for paid internships.

Linley, who is a 2013 graduate of SHS, said he did not imagine himself as a teacher back at his former school, but inspiring students has made the transition worth it.

“The students showing so much interest in the program makes all the difference,” he shares. “Seeing students from all walks of life excited to learn something new and challenging, while also becoming a tight-knit group of friends with peers that they would have previously never crossed paths with is really an amazing thing to witness.”