Classroom the Career: NPHS students learn construction trade and get certified

HANCOCK COUNTY — In Hancock County students are getting a look inside the construction trade.

A trade that’s in desperate need of employees.

At New Palestine High School students are building a tiny home from the ground up and it's teaching them life skills but also they can get certified to do this as a future career.

Tim Tarplee is an Industrial Technology teacher at NPHS this year they’re building very tiny homes.

“They will do everything from the very bottom of foundation, called strip footing, all the way up through finished roofing. But the inside of it will be open on one side so they’ll actually be able to go in and finish electrical, finish drywall, we'll also throw in flooring, half will be tile and half will be carpet. So they get a real experience of every step through the construction process, rough framing through finished construction,” Tarplee said.

Students can get certifications in the construction trade while others take the class as an opportunity to learn skills that will last them a lifetime.

“I’ve been kind of hands-on so this is more my type of style of learning,” senior, Chase Ankne said.

“I've always enjoyed this stuff so I figured you might as well take it will I can,” senior, Daniel Collins said.

Tarplee said for him, it’s a unique experience to teach young kids about trade jobs.

“I was part of the generation that was like hey you need to go to college. Like if you don't go to college then you're not going to do anything else for the rest of your life. And really trying to push these kids that hey it's a great path to take but it is definitely not for everybody you know if you're struggling with academic classes in high school pursue one of these classes it might be something you really enjoy it might not be but at least you know where your options are,” Tarplee said.

In the coming years they're going to add even more classes at New Palestine High School where kids can get more certifications in different types of trade.

Right now they have vertical construction and they are adding pathways for manufacturing, engineering and civil construction.

There are a ton of different trades needed for construction sites. Click here to learn more about the trades, how much they pay plus how to get started.