DUBLIN, Va. – Students in Pulaski County have a new way to prepare themselves for life after high school.
“It is a $1,030,000 investment in education,” said Megan Atkinson, the Career and Technical Education Director at Pulaski County High School.
The lab, which was completed in mid-February, offers students 20 booths for them to individually perfect their skills.
The goal is for students to have the basic skills of a welder once they complete the three-year program.
“It’s project-based learning. We get into some real repairs, some real-world stuff, we’ve repaired some utility trailers,” explained Welding teacher Bobby Petty.
Danielle Bolling, a junior, is one of about two dozen students in the welding program at Pulaski County High School.
Initially, she did not originally want to take welding classes, “then I like took the class and couldn’t switch it and I just kind of fell in love with it.”
Atkinson said the lab is critical for the community.
“A lot of the job opportunities available in Pulaski County have some connection to welding, whether it be in our manufacturing plants, or even out on a farm, investing in a welding lab is investing in our future,” said Atkinson.
Pulaski County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kevin Siers is also someone who recognizes the importance of the welding lab.
“Certainly one of our premier programs in Pulaski County, and something that we can offer our students that allows them to be employable right out of high school,” said Siers.