Hanford West Students Dive Into Hands-On Careers with Exciting Welding Pathway Opportunity

Hanford West Senior Edgar Ferrer guided us around the key features of a barbecue grill set up on school grounds.

This is a Santa Maria grill," Ferrer stated. "It features stainless steel grates bearing the Hanford West logo. There are also doors that allow you to open them up and add charcoal inside.

He and his classmates in the Welding Pathway entirely constructed this project themselves.

The three-year course series is instructed by Teacher Bill Chambers.

Chambers stated, "We aim to impart manufacturing abilities, welding techniques, along with some machining knowledge."

By their senior year in high school, he states that they will obtain their OSHA certification and will be prepared to serve as apprentices in a professional setting.

Chambers collaborates closely with the students yet allows them room to explore tasks independently.

He states that the course is crucial for students who enjoy manual labor as it allows them to visualize their objectives clearly.

What makes a store like this special is that you begin with an idea and end up with a completed item," Chambers explained. "It sparks their interest, and then they realize, 'Hey, I enjoy this.'

Superintendent Victor Rosa states that career technical programs such as these provide students who do not participate in sports or join clubs with an incentive to attend school regularly.

Rosa mentioned, "Although they may not enjoy every single class, they have a particular fondness for that one."

Each time students wear their welding helmets, take measurements, or make cuts, they’re developing abilities they can utilize down the road.

Ferrer, who is already utilizing his abilities at a Hanford stainless-steel manufacturing firm, recommends that other students think about enrolling too.

Ferrer stated that this is a beneficial program since it offers practical learning experiences for students who prefer hands-on activities, providing them with substantial knowledge and insight into shop operations.

The curriculum adapts to the industry’s evolution. Recently, they acquired a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) milling machine. This allows students to write programs that instruct the machine to perform the cutting tasks autonomously.

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