Mullan beefs up shop class thanks to CTE grant

MULLAN –– Upgrades to the shop classroom at Mullan Jr./Sr. High School should result in expanded opportunities for career technical education students at the small school. 

Thanks to a $60,000 grant from the Idaho Career Ready Students program, MHS industrial arts instructor Steve Trogden was able to purchase five new welders, three drill presses, welding helmets, gloves, jackets, and a miter saw – it also covered brand-new carbide bits, blades, and new calipers for precise measuring and manufacturing of various project components.

The Idaho Career Ready Students program was designed by the Idaho Department of Education to provide funds to school districts to increase their capacity for Career Technical Education (CTE) for students in grades 7 through 12. They accomplish this goal by incentivizing these districts to create and improve programs geared toward preparing students to meet local and regional industry and workforce needs.

Trogden explained that previously, students in his class had to share the limited welding equipment in the classroom – this resulted in reduced time for the students to hone their skills and complete projects. 

When Trogden received word that they had been awarded the grant, he and his students got to work quickly to update the classroom to accommodate the new equipment. This included fabricating a new four-bay welding booth that would facilitate both MIG and TIG welders.  

“It’s pretty cool,” Trogden said. “These new welders are like $10,000 apiece, but they are three in one (stick, TIG, and MIG). We’re kinda building this up so that we can do all different types of fabrication here.” 

The increased amounts of machinery required some additional upgrades to the shop classroom, but principal Jacki Almquist explained that the decision to improve these facilities was an easy one. 

“Our school district has decided to support a rebuilding of the shop program from a high school program into a quality working environment where students will pick up valuable skills that help make them more immediately employable,” Almquist said.   

Both Trogden and Almquist are excited about the upgrades because they feel that the increased opportunities will lead to more experience for the students. 

According to Almquist, seven of their 14 graduating seniors are pursuing CTE certificates after they graduate – most of them planning on attending North Idaho College. 

“This is an important addition to our school because it is a stepping stone for certification,” Almquist said. “The students will be more prepared for millwright certification coursework and enter the workforce with a higher level of skill development.”

    Mullan High School senior Alex Trogden uses a new welder to fabricate a part of the framework for a new tool rack in the school's shop classroom.