PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Dozens of students at Philadelphia’s Mastbaum Vocational/Technical High School in Kensington are getting an opportunity to learn from the professionals. The school kicked off a pre-apprenticeship program for the construction trades on Tuesday.
Classroom learning is fine for some students, but Mastbaum senior Jordy Navas Garcia prefers a hands-on approach, as he learns electrical work to meet his career goal to become a master electrician.
The first step on his journey is to join a new pre-apprenticeship program at his school.
“I pick up things easier when someone shows me how to do it themselves,” said Garcia.
“Personally, I feel better, or more inclined to catch on to things when someone who comes from a field is teaching me in their own ways compared to a textbook or anything of that line.”
Mastbaum Principal David Lon said 16 juniors and 16 seniors have signed up for the program, and explained that the new pre-apprenticeships allow students to learn from union members and pros in the construction trades.
“They are plumbing students. They are carpentry students. They are electrical and welding (students), so these opportunities are specifically for students in those pathways,” said Lon.
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School District of Philadelphia Executive Director of Career and Technical Education Michelle Armstrong said the pre-apprenticeship program provides a head start on a career.
“Apprenticeship allows young people to learn while working with a guaranteed job, so it’s a great partnership with the schools for our third-party intermediaries as well as our businesses,” said Armstrong.
“Having the ability to ask not only technical questions, not only career questions, but … ‘What made you get into this industry? Can you share some of your knowledge?”
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She said the pre-apprenticeship program can also provide an alternate path for students to meet new state high school graduation requirements.
Philadelphia AFL-CIO President Pat Eiding reminded students that they can’t neglect their regular classwork while they pursue career skills.
“You cannot make it in a trade unless you can read and do math,” said Eiding.
Eiding told students that if they successfully completed the program, they could have a career for life.