E{emum} | Trade School Is The Door, Not The Destination

Hello and welcome to the Built in the Midwest podcast.

Podcast producer RJ Parish here and I just wanted to let you know that this week's episode is a little bit different.

Josh got to have a conversation with one of our.

This week Josh got to have a conversation with Linus Parr, who runs the Newberry High School career and technical education programs.

He brought a bus full of students to to our campus to let them explore the different trades that we offer.

Josh got to have a conversation with him about what he's seeing and why he brings his students all the way to our school in a two hour bus drive.

One way to let them get hands on experience in trades and career programs like this.

So if you are an educator, if you are a parent, if you are a student yourself and you are thinking about what you want to do and whether or not that trades might be right for you, then this episode may be helpful for you to hear his perspective.

And if that isn't you, then this might be a little bit different than what you are used to from us.

Next week we'll be back to our normal programming with that.

Enjoy the episode.

If you're thinking about a career in the trades and you want to know what employers actually look for, what the work is really like, and what nobody.

Tells you before you get started, you're.

In the right place.

Built in the Midwest features conversations that'll help you figure out if this path is for you.

This is the first time we're actually doing the podcast just off site.

All right.

Right here.

Really?

Yeah.

Cool.

This is the first time.

So typically we're in a nice cozy studio, but like everything that we do and you do is a little non.

Traditional, so extremely non traditional.

So speaking of, let's talk about what we're doing today with all these young people.

So Newberry High School is here for career exploration into CDL linemen and heavy equipment school.

Getting these kids out of the classroom and putting them into the toys and let them figure out their future.

I just think this is amazing because there's a lot of, there's a lot of schools that don't do this.

And so this, I give you so much credit because this surely shows not only that you care about these young people, but you want to see them succeed after, after you're done with them, you still want them to see them progress.

I feel it's part of my job is to not just teach them in the classro, but to show them the doors and the doors.

It is their choice to choose what door they walk through.

But, like, back in my day, nobody was showing us the way.

So I'm doing my best to make sure that our students learn all the options that are out there for them.

And even including up to getting the financial information to pay for this stuff, we have a lot of avenues back in Newberry through Michigan Works to.

You guys are really good in your office of helping get these kids that financing.

Absolutely.

And I think one thing just in talking to some of your students is you're talking about all different types of opportunities, and I love that.

I mean, we were talking to a guy that.

Oh, yeah, he's my military guy.

He's getting in the military.

This one's interested in law enforcement.

This one's interested in bookkeeping.

You know, it's something.

And I think these conversations need to happen more with young people and explore these different careers that they maybe never thought about.

Because, like you said, I got out of high school, I didn't know what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go.

Never went to a job fair, never did a tour like this where I could actually get onto something or get into something.

I could go as far as saying my senior year of high school, if you said, josh, what's a lineman?

I wouldn't have known what a lineman was.

No, it was a lineman.

We drew a guy on top of it.

Like a stick figure.

It was a stick figure, but no.

And it's a great opportunity to bring him down, get him out of school for the day, and then they need to start seeing the practical application of what we teach at school and why it applies here.

Absolutely.

So there is that connection.

And I think it works.

I think the model we have built at Newberry High School is working for the kids that are in our region.

No, I think it's huge.

And it's something that young people, if they're not exposed to it, if they don't know about it, and they don't get to explore these different trades, it's never even a thought in their mind that this is something.

No.

And their version of research.

So watching this on a TikTok video is not the same as being here and getting them practical experiences.

You know, I'm willing to take a chance on a ninth grader who says, I want to try this because I'm not sure if I like it or not.

I might like.

Why wouldn't you bring them?

Yeah, why not?

So I have today, I have from 9th to 12th grade here this year, and these.

Well, and one thing that just blew me Away is you came here with vests, hard hats and your guys were ready to go.

He said, let's hit the ground, run.

When we travel, I like to travel dressed and ready.

Because that is so today for us, we're two hours on the road, two hours going home.

So that limits my time here.

So if I have to have dress out time, I just lost another 10, 15 minutes here.

So we had a donation a few years back from which was waste management at the time and a few other businesses.

So we travel ready and we'll take all of our gear back, clean it up, put it away.

Ready for the next event?

Ready for the next event?

No, I. I just think this is, this is huge.

And it's something, you know, to speak to other, other.

Other teachers, other high schools and different things.

Maybe.

What's some advice that you would give with some of the results that you've seen doing stuff like this?

Like for example, the law enforcement kid that you were talking about.

Well, we finally got into his, got through his head, was try them all.

Because you don't know what you're going to like, you don't know where you're going to go.

And I would recommend any of them.

To.

Recommend to your teacher, suggest these events, if they're not already suggesting, suggest them to them or go yourself.

But you've got to get out and go to these places like Midwest Truck Driving School and your big open house you guys are going to be having in July.

Yeah.

I highly recommend people to come to it because actually you get out way more equipment than we get to play with today.

So you've got to go to these events, you've got to talk to the people.

They will show you the doors and how to get in.

Absolutely.

But you've got to go talk to them.

Yeah.

You know one thing, I went to a conference here recently and the big thing that he talked about was changing our stigma of being college ready to career ready.

Correct.

You know, and looking at all different types of careers.

And like I said, just in the few conversations I had, I mean, the military and the one wants to get in the iron workers.

Yes.

So I'm like, clearly Linus has had these conversations.

Well, even in the document I shared with you a few weeks back in the series we're starting of.

We've started reverse field trips at Newberry High School.

Yeah, talk about that.

Cause this is a renowned.

Instead of trying to get kids out the door in a field trip, I had you guys bring the Midwest semi trucks to the school and the Kids met you right out in the front.

So why can't we have reverse field trips and then the document I put together which really talks to how do you get there?

So a lot of the kids, it's not like I look at your school that you run.

You are not the destination like you and I talked about.

You're the how.

You are the how did I get there.

You provide the how.

The job comes after that.

Absolutely.

So it's teaching the kids, how do you get there?

Where are the certifications?

I'm a huge proponent of more CTE certificate two year certifications in high school.

Absolutely.

And I'm also starting to propose.

The idea at Newberry is many of our schools are starting to run out of space inside the school, Right?

Yep.

Why does the classroom have to be in the school?

So engine small engine, auto, diesel tech.

Why can't that be a two year certification at the local garage?

Okay.

Why can't it be a.

Why can't it be a salon tech at the local salon?

Why can't it be journalism at the local newspaper place?

We have.

So it's the brander.

The bigger idea is, yeah, we can have a lot of CTE classes and get these kids into these fields, but we have to look at it different from using our space.

Absolutely.

You know, on that point, it's wild that you talked about that.

There was a guy here somewhat recently, last handful of months, and he was interested in being a diesel tech.

I saw your podcast on that.

He didn't know the how.

He didn't know the how.

Like, how do we get there and how do we go about it?

Well, sure enough, what I told the guy was simple.

I said, go to a diesel tech shop in your town.

All right.

And just tell him, hey, you know what?

I'll work for minimum wage.

I just want to learn.

Right.

And I'll sweep floors, I'll do dishes, I'll do.

And sure enough, he's doing oil changes.

Now he's doing brakes, he's doing tires, and he's loving it.

And he'll work his way up.

Exactly.

And he's not making a lot right now.

But I said, the experience that you're having, I was like, oh, no, the money will come.

I was like, you know what?

That knowledge and education experience, it's worth working there for free just to be able to get that.

Yeah.

Because you're building your resume.

Exactly.

And so that's what you're saying where.

Yeah, you go to the salon.

Yeah.

Work with them.

Guess what?

There's not a salon out there.

But why can't we offer that kid a certification that takes them right to cosmetology school?

Exactly.

Okay.

Gives them that step up into the success world.

We're giving them that leg up.

And we just passed a huge CT millage in the eastern U.P.

We just got.

It was a property bond renewal millage.

It passed on Tuesday, and I'm very grateful to all.

Yes, it just passed.

It is now in place for the next 10 years.

So EUP ISD is going to do really well because of this.

Absolutely.

And I'm looking at expanding our programs.

I meet with my director tomorrow morning, and I have ideas that I need to share with her.

Absolutely.

But you know me, Josh.

I got a thought.

I got ideas.

You do.

You have more ideas than.

Than anybody.

Sometimes it's overwhelming.

It is a little over.

Even in my own head, it is.

Yeah.

But no, we're beyond grateful just to be here today, so.

No, no, it's.

It's huge.

You know, and the one thing with the reverse job fair, and I ended up having a meeting that day, but I made sure we.

No, no.

Yeah.

And.

But.

But they came back.

They were talking about how even the students that were in the school got to talk to maybe prospective students about kind of their experience and what that looked like.

That same event that day, like I was telling you earlier, we had two community members show up.

They checked in at the high school office as visitors.

So they were legal to be on grounds.

Yeah.

And they got job information from your trainers that day.

They also got information from Michigan Works and other things.

How to.

From the community.

From the community.

They were looking for jobs, and they showed up at our school event, and we let them in.

Wow.

And we just made them go check in at the office.

So they were legal to be around the kids.

Absolutely.

So are you helping out the high school?

And really, you're putting the students first, and you're putting the students should be always first?

Yeah.

And I.

Well, it's one of those things where, you know, like, how I felt when I graduated high school.

It was like, okay, get out of here.

You're done.

You're done.

That's exactly what we did.

And it's like, you.

It's like, no, no, no.

Let me prepare you for what's to come.

And you're so real with the students in a way that I don't know.

Any other way to be.

I don't know any other way to be.

I love that.

But you don't.

You.

You don't you know, if I can say this, you don't talk to them like kids.

Nope.

You don't.

You don't interact like kids.

No, you, you treat them like adults.

They're family.

We're all family, you know, and I think that's huge.

You're firm, but you're fair.

And I, and I love that.

And you must be firm, fair and consistent.

Yeah.

You have to be.

And you'll get great respect from them.

My kids are amazing and they'll do just about anything except for go up that 45 foot pole.

We had one go up.

They're trying hard over them right now.

They're doing good.

That one going up?

No, no, the one going up the.

If that's who I think it is.

Yeah, he's actually coming here.

Oh, really?

Yes.

That's.

You got.

So that's another thing Newberry, we had a couple years ago.

We were at about 1 to 2 coming through Midwest School.

We're at about 4 to 5 a year now coming down here.

Wow.

So we are starting to develop a little pipeline.

And the thing is, what these students are getting is they're getting the skills, like I said, like you said.

We're the.

How they're getting the skills to be able to get into the trade.

And the majority of linemen that I know, they go out and work remote or work transmission or contracting for a couple few years under apprenticeship and then they come back here and come back here and they'll end up working at municipalities because every municipality has linemen.

Well, they're all hiring upcoming.

They're all hiring and they can't find journeyman linemen.

So it's one of those things where these trades you can work where you want to including you want to stay in the up, you want to stay local like I did.

You have those.

There's plenty of opportunities to do that.

Absolutely.

It's huge.

It's huge.

Well, is there anything else that you want to, you know, talk about?

No.

I'm grateful to you guys.

I would highly recommend any teacher out there schedule an appointment with you guys, bring the kids down.

Well, and we, we love that, you know, and that's one thing where you've taken full advantage of it.

And I, and I love that because this is something, you know, I have four kids, you know, and I want to be able to kind of leave a legacy for my kids and being able to have these training programs that are great for young people because I want to see them be successful.

Absolutely.

As well.

And it's Something that here in the U.P.

You know, there's a lot of opportunity in the U.P.

You just gotta look for.

You gotta be introducing.

Well, the biggest message we keep hearing when we go to events in the classroom.

Most all of our kids want these jobs, and they actually want to.

Either they'll go out and work for a while, but they want to come back to the UP or find a job in the UP Immediately.

Yep.

They love the UP life and they want to stay here.

Yeah, absolutely.

So why not train our workers and keep them?

Yeah, absolutely.

And what you're doing is you're giving them different careers and different opportunities that.

That a lot that aligns with their goals on what they.

What they want to do, which is.

Yep.

And then, like I said, open up that door and try it.

And if you like it, keep walking.

If you don't, get out quick and go find another door.

Exactly.

Well, and that's one thing.

Even with these trade programs, some students, they get up on the pole.

Yep.

This isn't for me.

Nope.

We had one earlier today.

And that's the beauty of.

It's like, try before you buy kind of thing.

Absolutely.

And maybe, you know, you have someone talking about the salon getting in, wanting to cut hair, and they do it for a month and say, this isn't really for me.

That's what those CTE classes will let you try.

It's a beautiful thing.

It's a beautiful thing.

So why can't we have them everywhere?

Yeah, absolutely.

Absolutely.

It doesn't need to be in the school building.

No, it doesn't.

It just takes bigger thinking, teaming up.

With all these other entities, and they would be all on board with it.

I know that.

Oh, I know my Newberry community would be.

Absolutely.

I know they would be.

Absolutely.

Because I don't know, you know, most everyone has kids, and we all want to see our young people thrive and survive and do well.

I mean, at the end of the day, you know what?

We're going to be long gone, and the young people are going to be taking.

Absolutely.

I want to see them be successful.

Oh, I want them all.

I want to see our local.

You know, I seen when we came out, when I graduated, we.

We know the struggles.

Absolutely.

Because nobody was showing the way but these kids.

Let's show them the way.

Because it's out there and it's not hard to find.

Absolutely.

And sometimes that's all it takes is a conversation or an event like this where it opens up.

It just plants a seed in their mind, like, you know, what this is a viable career opportunity.

And many of the seeds you're talking about right now I won't hear about for a few days because they're kids and they're not going to openly talk about it, but they'll talk about amongst each other and then I'll start hearing about it and the positive seeds and I'll share them with you once I start hearing them.

Yeah.

But the majority of them are going to go home with big smiles today.

I already know this.

That's awesome.

Well, in the fact they came into the classroom, they were ready to go with their ppe.

They wanted to hit the ground running.

I love that.

I love it.

They mean business while they're here.

No, they knew.

Full advantage.

Yeah.

They knew when we got here, if we were dressed and ready, we could get out onto the yards quicker and do what we're gonna do.

So they're chopping at the bit.

So just a refresher of kind of what they're doing today.

As you see behind us, they're operating some different heavy equipment.

Just getting a feel, getting a feel for it, getting introduced to this trade, the operating trade.

You know what, they're climbing poles over there.

I'm seeing kids with big smiles on their faces today.

And that's worth it to me.

Absolutely.

It's all it's worth to me.

So it's somewhere you can put.

Put some joy in someone's life.

And, you know, I think too often.

Right.

And I think I can say this, that kids don't like school, right?

Oh, there's quite a few, you know.

But what you're doing is, you know what, we can have fun in school.

We can have a good time, we.

Can have a ton of fun and.

We can learn, you know, and so it really is a win.

Win that way.

Yes, it is.

So appreciate you.

Liar.

No, appreciate you guys having.

Sam.