CINCINNATI — More than 1,000 Greater Cincinnati area middle school students are getting a hands-on look at careers in skilled trades through a program called Adopt-A-Class.
The program brings students into real construction environments to explore opportunities in fields like construction, plumbing and electrical work.
Zariyus Clark and Journei Jones are eighth-grade students at Lockland Schools and are among those taking part in the program.
"Oh my gosh, that's pretty awesome," Clark said while watching an interactive demonstration.
The program brings in companies like Huseman Group to teach students through interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities, including operating equipment and developing carpentry skills, while also connecting them with industry professionals.
"They'll be in helmets, they'll be in vests," Sonya Fultz, chief executive officer at Adopt-A-Class, said. "They'll all be ready to enter a true construction zone, and their eyes stay wide until the minute they step out of that environment and back onto that bus."
WATCH: The experience is shifting how some students think about their futures
Jones said she's talked to her family about how she wants to go to nursing school, but the program gave her some new ideas.
"Now that I'm seeing, like, it's different trades that we can do and different routes that we can take," Jones said.
Jones said she is interested in learning more about plumbing, specifically.
"I will ask, like, how it is doing plumbing work, because it's a lot of bad, horrible things that can happen from, like, pipes bursting," Jones said.
Leaders told WCPO the need for the next generation of skilled workers is urgent.
"We have a generation of skilled trade workers going out, and there's a real need for the next generation to come in," Jessica Coplen, brand marketing director at Huseman Group, said.
The goal of Adopt-A-Class is to show students that a college degree is not the only path to a successful future.
