School-to-Work

WINTER WELDING CONTEST—January 18th, 2012

Buna High School and ABC-SETX jointly hosted a very successful Winter Welding Contest on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at the ABC Training Center.  Sixty-four (64) Welders from 15 local high schools put their skills to the test, and they all performed with flying colors.  It is exciting to see this type of talent at the high school level; it is a testament to the quality instructors that our local schools have employed.  Of course as always, the event could not have taken place had it not been for the generosity of several Sponsors, and we would like to say thank you for their continued support.  They are as follows:

              Fresh Country Fundraising Company
              Cypress Creek Farm & Ranch Supply
              Dwight Bourgeois
              Don Hatch Construction, Inc.
              Darrell Askew
              Stimits Services
              Matheson Tri-gas
              Coastal Welding Supply
              Lone Star Silversmiths
              ABC-SETX
                       
The Competition Winners are:
1st Place Winner is: Trenton Williams of Broaddus High School ;
2nd Place Winner is: Chad McFarland of Lumberton High School;
3rd Place Winner is: Brandon Duett of Newton High School;
4th Place Winner is: Justin Harrington of West Hardin High School;
5th Place Winner is: Jake Wheeler of Buna High School;
6th Place Winner is: Dustin Burnes of Warren High School;
7th Place Winner is: Tyler Carrouthers of West Hardin High School;
8th Place Winner is: Brady Smith of Lumberton High School;
9th Place Winner is: Dillon Schrieffer of Buna High School;
10th Place Winner is: Ray Y’Barbo of Buna High School;
11th Place Winner is: Jason Cartwright of Broaddus High School ;
12th Place Winner is: Dalton Armentrout of Buna High School;
13th Place Winner is: Darrel Noack of Dayton High School;
14th Place Winner is: Bryce Tippett of Buna High School;
15th Place Winner is: Corey Boyett of Silsbee High School;
16th Place Winner is: Dalton Koonce of Newton High School;
17th Place Winner is: Blake Steptoe of Broaddus High School;
18th Place Winner is: Tate Lejeune of Buna High School;
19th Place Winner is: Josh Bertling of Silsbee High School;
20th Place Winner is: Kyle Satterwhite of Newton High School;

We would also like to thank Rickey Simmons, Vice President of Triple “S” Industrial Corp., and Ronnie Yawn, President of STI Group, for coming in to speak with the students about the hiring process in the industry and to give them words of encouragement.   

Again, thank you sponsors and instructors for making this a successful event. We hope to continue hosting this annual contest!

Click to view photos from event

School-to-Work Partnerships with Region V High Schools

In Southeast Texas’ the petro-chemical industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, many are calling it the “Second Spindletop”, and with this growth, comes opportunities for our young people to get great paying jobs!  Therefore, through the dedication, financial support, and direction of the Associated Builders & Contractors Construction Training Center’s (“ABC-CTC”) Board of Trustees, as well as the many petro-chemical facilities located throughout Southeast Texas, monies have been budgeted to help fund and assist the approximately 30 high school Vo-Tech programs in the Region V Educational System.  “Build it, they will Come.  Train them, they will Stay”.

ABC-CTC’s goal is to have high school graduates leave school with approx. 1-2 years NCCER craft training and certification.  These various School-to-Work programs have been well received, especially since it’s at no cost to the school districts and offers students additional credentials and skills.  By implementing new industrial craft training programs in the high schools (i.e., Pipefitting, Welding, Carpentry, Scaffold Builder, Electrical, Millwright and Core), ABC-CTC is not only helping give the graduates an edge on their employability, but is also insuring that Southeast Texas will have a trained workforce to maintain these petro-chemical facilities for years to come.  Young people will be able to enter the workforce above the normal entry level position, and continue their education at night, at the ABC-CTC located at 2700 North Twin City Highway in Nederland, Texas. 

To accomplish this goal, ABC-CTC’s commitment is to provide each school with the needed educational materials (i.e., NCCER textbooks, shop tools, hand tools, materials and consumables).  ABC-CTC has also hired a School-to-Work Coordinator to monitor and oversee each of the schools on a routine basis throughout the school year.  The Coordinator will not only consult and assist the teachers with the program, but he’ll also be a liaison between ABC, the contractors and industry.  Additionally, as in years past, ABC-CTC will continue to, i) participate in career fairs and seminars; ii) host welding competitions for the Vo-Tech programs; and iii) offer scholarships to qualified high school graduates to attend ABC-CTC.  For more information contact ABC’s Director of Education, Kimberly Bernard, at (409) 724-7886 or kbernard@abcsetx.org.

Click here to view pictures from the Annual Region 5 Vo-Ag Welding Competition held on May 9th at ABC. This event was sponsored by:

• Orangefield High School Vo-Ag Booster Club
• ABC-SETX Training Center
• Coastal Welding Supply
• Southeast Texas Industrial Services