Augusta County, Waynesboro students part of VCTC's apprentice signing event

Patrick Hite, Staunton News Leader
Updated ·4 min read
1

FISHERSVILLE – Evan Williams began working with E&E Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning last year, working on both commercial and residential job sites. The Valley Career and Technical Center (VCTC) senior attends school in the morning and heads off to work in the afternoon.

"I knew I wanted to get into a trade," said Williams, who will graduate from Fort Defiance High this year. "I had family members who did electrical so I figured I'd do it as well. I love it."

Williams was one of nine students honored (one wasn't able to attend) by VCTC Wednesday, March 13 as a youth registered apprentice. There was also an adult apprentice, a VCTC alumni, honored. Most of them were electrical apprentices, but two were diesel apprentices. The registered apprenticeship program is through the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.

An apprenticeship combines related technical instruction from VCTC and job training with a local employer. The student works toward licensure as a journeyman or master electrician or mechanic. It's both a benefit to the student, who has a job lined up before graduation, and the employer, whose investment in training hopefully gains them a good employee.

Fort Defiance senior Evan Williams is a youth registered apprentice with E&E Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning. The VCTC student was one of several honored by the Fishersville school Wednesday, March 13.
Fort Defiance senior Evan Williams is a youth registered apprentice with E&E Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning. The VCTC student was one of several honored by the Fishersville school Wednesday, March 13.

Casey Carwile, the personnel director at Design Electric, Inc. based on Charlottesville, was at the event Wednesday to support three apprentices. He said his company offers a four-year apprenticeship for youth as young as 15 as well as adults, including some who are changing careers.

Carwile's company supplies on-the-job training that includes 8,000 hours over four years plus technical school classes, one or two classes a week.

"It's really important to be committed to an apprenticeship because that's the pipeline that helps us to train workers for tomorrow to meet the growing needs of our construction company here in Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley," Carwile said.

Fort Defiance and VCTC senior Cason Root was one of those signing an apprenticeship with Design Electric. He began working with the company this past summer and has remained there since. He's currently working on some construction projects at Augusta Health, running pipe and mounting boxes, he said.

This isn't a line of work he was familiar with until he started taking classes at VCTC his junior year.

"It's definitely helped a lot," Root said of the technical school. "If I didn't have the class, I wouldn't be as far as I am."

Cason Root, a Fort Defiance High School senior, was one of several VCTC students honored as a youth registered apprentice on Wednesday, March 13. Root is working with Design Electric, Inc.
Cason Root, a Fort Defiance High School senior, was one of several VCTC students honored as a youth registered apprentice on Wednesday, March 13. Root is working with Design Electric, Inc.

VCTC is one of nine regional career and technical education centers in Virginia. While it also offers adult education, during the day students from Augusta County, Waynesboro and Staunton take classes at the Fishersville location.

Waynesboro Public Schools Superintendent Jeffrey Cassell, who along with Augusta County Superintendent Eric Bond attended the ceremony, said the job of schools is to prepare students for the work force, whether that's higher education, military or going directly into the workforce.

"I think it's huge for these students because they've decided on their career path and are going into the workforce with a really high earning potential for the next four years versus going to college and leaving with a pretty high debt load in four years," Cassell said. "It shows that everyone doesn't have to go to college to have a successful career."

Evan Williams' parents, Karrie and Raymond, were at the event for their son.

"This is amazing," Karrie said. "I am so proud of him. Definitely knows what he's doing, has his plan, has forever. Knew what he wanted to do and he's doing it."

Their son agreed.

"I feel like I'm set for life now," Evan Williams said.

Augusta County and Waynesboro students from Valley Career and Technical Center were honored as registered apprentices during a ceremony at the Fishersville school Wednesday, March 13.
Augusta County and Waynesboro students from Valley Career and Technical Center were honored as registered apprentices during a ceremony at the Fishersville school Wednesday, March 13.

Students participating in the registered apprentice signing event:

  • Carson Brooks, Riverheads, (Dave Brooks Electric)

  • Daniel Heath, Riverheads, (Dave Brooks Electric)

  • Haden Toler, Buffalo Gap, (Dave Brooks Electric)

  • Bryce Wagner, Fort Defiance, (Draft Electric)

  • Cason Root, Fort Defiance, (Design Electric, Inc.)

  • Garrett Barone, Fort Defiance, (Design Electric, Inc.)

  • Tyler Haugen, 2019 graduate Riverheads, adult registered apprentice, (Design Electric, Inc.)

  • Evan Williams, Fort Defiance, (E&E Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning)

  • Samuel Serrett, Waynesboro, (Lawrence Companies)

  • James Parker, Stuarts Draft, (Lawrence Companies)

More: Road-kill free-for-all and Virginia's favorite pollinator: A handful of quirky new laws

More: Augusta County Courthouse construction officially underway

— Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Valley Career and Technical Center honors apprenticeship students