Your average school day does not typically involve protective headgear, heavy duty gloves and welding torches that reach up to 6,000 degrees. But for juniors Evan Lyons and Emily Villanueva, that’s exactly what a normal school day looks like this year.
Lyons and Villanueva have been inducted into the industrial metal fabrication program at the Academy of Craft Training at Birmingham, making them the first to do so from Homewood.
Various skills are taught in training for industrial metal fabrication, such as welding, metal cutting techniques, CNC machines, fabrication tools, blueprint reading, precision measurements and metal fabrication.
Lyons was initially drawn to the prospect of employment without needing a college degree.
“I never really wanted to go [to college],” Lyons said. “So I didn’t really know what I was going to do. Doing this seemed like an easy way to find a job and get money right out of high school.”
The Academy of Craft Training students have earned over 450 internships to date, with over 100,000 total work hours. The Academy accepts over 750 high school students annually from over 72 different schools across its three academies in Birmingham, Northern Alabama and Mobile.
Villanueva took an early interest in welding and realized her interest could be a reality through the program.
“Since sixth grade, I have always had an interest in welding, but freshman year, I remember Mrs. White started course selection for next year, and she was talking about craft and RC3,” Villanueva said. “That’s how I knew that I wanted to do it in high school, but I have always had interest in it since middle school.”
Both were selected their sophomore year after completing the lengthy and competitive application process. All interested students go on a field trip to tour the academy and fill out an application consisting of their top three trades. Applicants then have in-person interviews at the Craft center to assess their motives and professionalism. Selected students attend an orientation over the summer in order to meet their instructors.
Grace Burgess, the career coach at HHS, believes the Academy helps students practice discipline and prepare for life after high school.
“They are teaching high-school-aged students how to be the best employee that they can be,” Burgess said. “That comes with a bunch of life skills. The amount of maturity that I see in our kids that go there, it just skyrockets because their expectations are so high with behavior, attitude and work ethic.”
Lyons and Villanueva give advice to anyone who is interested in the Craft program for next year. Lyons warns that the program isn’t for those who aren’t truly interested.
“A lot of people get cut out and don’t make it in the program and that takes away a lot of people’s ability to get into that, so some advice is if you want to do this, make sure it is what you want to do,” Lyons said.
Villanueva appreciates the opportunity to learn a new skill as well as the freedom that comes with working alongside students from different areas.
“They might be scared because it is something new you’re trying, but it’s fun and really interesting, and I feel like they should find out more about it,” Villanueva said.
The two women see a career for themselves in welding after high school as they learn the skills to enter this evolving profession.
