Carl D. Perkins students began classes to become welders through a partnership between Big Sandy Community and Technical College and the Carl D. Perkins Job Corps Center. In mid February 2020, 7 Carl D. Perkins students began their journey in the arc cutter certificate program led by Instructor Scott Linkus at Big Sandy Community and Technical College Mayo campus. Students attend classes weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-9pm and intend to graduate in May 2020. Students have been equipped with all the Personal Protective Equipment needed including goggles, shields, gloves, flame resistant jackets, boots, a flame striker and the Welding Principles and Practices book. So far, they have learned safety and dangers of the welding profession, how to set up an Oxy Fuel system, and have actually began cutting metal. Upon completion of the arc cutter certification, students can then continue their education and skills by completing other certificates offered such as shielded metal arc welder. Carl D. Perkins students Payton Billiter, Austin Chavez, Dustin Tussey, Sebastian Munoz, Noah Hamilton, Thomas Norman, and Sebastian Adkins are eager to continue their education and seek employment in the welding profession. In November of 2019 Fox 13 News reported a predicted shortage of 400,000 welders in the next 4 years. Those statistics, coupled with the Career Transition team at Job Corps that assist students with obtaining and sustaining employment should provide endless opportunities for our future graduates.Pictured below is Dustin Tussey and Cody Sanders hard at work arc cutting away.