CLTCC Holds Manufacturing Day Where Students Learn About Programs of Study

Central Louisiana Technical Community College held a manufacturing day for high schoolers and the public to see what they have to offer students.  ABC 31 News’ Joel Massey has more.

Fritz Guidry, high school senior “I started welding a few years ago on the farm and it just kind of clicked so I started taking classes for it and I got better at it, and I really enjoy doing it.  And there’s good money in it there’s places to go in it and there’s always places to go up with welding.”

Fritz Guidry came to CLTCC’s manufacturing day.  He knows he wants to be a welder and says that the school will provide him with the tools to succeed.

“It’s close to home this stuff is state of the art everything’s nice you don’t have stuff that is run down.  The instructors are good from what I’ve heard.  I know a lot of people around here that can help get me jobs.”

Guidry had the opportunity to try his hand at a virtual welding set up.  Lamar Basco also knows what he wants to study at CLTCC.

“I want to be a cross country CDL driver because I want to see the world.  I want to travel the roads around the country be able to see everything and get paid for it.”

Basco also got to experience virtually what he wants to study at CLTCC in the truck driving simulator.

“I have friends that have came here.  They’ve all said great things and I know that they’re very understanding about schedules and stuff.  That’s important because I work.  I go to school and it would be great to be able to come here after I get off work.”

The CAT simulator is where students can get a hands-on feel for operating different heavy machinery.

Director of Manufacturing Nub Parker says the manufacturing day is an opportunity to see what the programs have to offer.

“We want them to see what they can come to the courses they can take to build themselves a career not just a skill.  They’ll get the skill but these jobs lead to careers… You get your hands on it this is hands on learning.  If you come to weld, you’re going to weld.  If you come to do instrument electrical, you’re going to hook it up you’re going to troubleshoot it.  If you come to the machining, you’re going to make parts you’re going to learn how to do it.”

Parker says seeing students develop is a rewarding experience.

“It’s so good to have a class sit down in front of you at the beginning, and they’re there with wide open eyes and they don’t know what you’re talking about.  And you begin to teach them and let them get their hands on it and let them work.  And all of a sudden you see the change in them as they begin to realize hey, I’m learning some things.  And then by the end we’ve got manufacturers around here have hired them before they’ve even finished.”