ThunderRidge High School’s Welding Shop is School’s Newest Career Technical Education Program
At the welding shop at ThunderRidge High School (TRHS), students measure, cut, and of course, weld. This is where the sparks fly!
Currently, five offerings of Welding I and Welding 2 classes are available. Next school year, a Welding 3 class will be offered, and the following year, Welding 4. The goal is that students who complete Welding 4 will earn their certification, giving them immediate access to the workforce following graduation.
Thanks to the DCSD voter-approved 2018 bond, the welding shop became a reality and is attracting students who want to explore a skilled trade. In addition to TRHS students, seven students from other DCSD high schools are enrolled in the welding program. Although the majority of students are male, females are also eager to learn.
“There’s a real need for welders,” said TRHS welding instructor Oscar Chaparro.
Industries including construction, infrastructure, aerospace and agriculture, as well as municipalities, employ welders or require many of the skills that welders possess.
Some of the skills students are learning through the welding program are SMAW (stick welding), GMAW (mig welding), and Plasma Arc Cutting, along with tool maintenance and safety. And many of those skills carry over into other disciplines.
In addition to fulfilling the requirements of the class, welding students are helping their school by making trash receptacles for the school’s parking lot. The students ordered the materials, fabricated the receptacles and will have them powder coated before they’re installed in the parking lot in May. The students also manufactured a coat rack and equipment stand which are useful additions to the shop.
The TRHS welding program applied for and received a $5,000 grant from The Foundation for Douglas County Schools for a computer numerical control (CNC) machine, which is similar to a 3D printer. CNC machining is a manufacturing process in which pre-programmed computer software dictates the movement of factory tools and machinery. Students enrolled in the Welding 3 class will be able to use the CNC machine. Chaparro hopes his students will be able to participate in the SkillsUSA Welding Championships in the future and compete with others outside TRHS.
Chaparro was a professional welder for 17 years before stepping into his new role as a
welding instructor in May 2022.
“Before joining DCSD, I worked for a welding company and ran my own welding business for several years,” he said. “One of my clients, a retired teacher, told me about the job and the new welding program. It’s been a great fit!”
Through DCSD’s Career Technical Education program, Oscar earned his CTE credential, which caters to those who have industry knowledge and experience to transition into the classroom. As a professional welder, Chaparro understands what students need to learn and how to grow their knowledge and skill set. He’s excited to be able to build the program at ThunderRidge.
DCSD welding classes are also offered at Ponderosa High School, where the program is in its fourth year. Welding classes are electives and are one semester in length.
