Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District received a $10,000 donation from Strike to help support the district’s welding program, which will be launching this fall as part of the new Apprenticeship Academy.
Strike is a leading North American provider of pipeline, facilities, fabrication, maintenance and integrity services to world renowned companies, delivering America’s energy safely.
“This is an incredible partnership that we are celebrating today. Strike reached out to us to invest in our new academy concept at HCISD,” said Superintendent Dr. Art Cavazos. “This generous donation will go towards supporting the welding program that will launch in the fall. The preliminary numbers for the welding program already show that there is a high demand, and this contribution is certainly going to help us provide a quality program for our students.”
The partnership with Strike will not only assist the district financially with the costs associated with producing these types of programs but also establish a partnership that will provide authentic learning experiences to students in the field of welding.
“Having partners that will welcome our students into their facilities and give students a visual of what they will be working in and what the industry looks like is beyond measure,” said Chief Academic Officer Dr. Alicia Noyola. “These are the types of experiences that we want for our students here at HCISD.”
The three-year Welding program will begin with an introductory course during students’ sophomore year. Second-year students of the program (junior year) will receive National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Core certification, and in senior year, they will have the chance to earn their NCCER Welding certificate.
“Strike is always looking for opportunities to give back. We have initiated a program called Campaign for Change, and over the last three years we have given over $3 million to over 300 organizations,” said Ky Bishop, staff chaplain for Strike. “We identified Harlingen school district and a need that they had, and we thought it matched perfectly with what Strike likes to do.”
The Apprenticeship Academy will offer certification opportunities in Architecture, Construction, Masonry, Plumbing, Electrical & Welding. While working towards certification, senior students will have the opportunity to intern with local businesses, enhancing their skills to become workforce ready.
Beginning Fall 2017, HCISD will launch six new Academies featuring Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses of high-demand career tracks. Hands on training, skill development, and educational achievement are all part of the unique experiences students will receive through these exciting district opportunities.
To learn more about HCISD Academies, click here.
