SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — West Valley High School is upgrading its manufacturing and engineering facilities to help address Spokane’s trade worker shortage.
The school received a $250,000 grant from the Department of Commerce to renovate its decades-old manufacturing classroom.
In the current classroom, students work on electrical engineering kits instead of typical schoolwork. For junior Jaden Savage, these trade programs offer a welcome alternative.
“I like working with the computers, the engineering, the wires, all that stuff,” Savage said. “And then I like being able to come here, cut some wood to make a project or something like that.”
Currently, the manufacturing room doesn’t meet industry standards. The grant will change that by modernizing the space and equipment.
Cari Rodrick with the West Valley School District explained why they sought the grant.
“The grant really came from the idea that we really need to boost our workforce in engineering and manufacturing and in career and technical education,” Rodrick said.
The renovations include upgrading the welding area to match professional environments. These changes will improve safety and make the space more manageable.
“Our goal is to get students on a future pathway to find what their interest is and really have those base skills to move into the industry,” Rodrick added.
Engineering teacher Kristin Amnent emphasized the need to attract more students to trade careers.
“There’s a huge deficit in the trade workforce,” Amnent said. “And it’s going to be really important to keep trying to build this up as much as we can.”
For students like Savage who are considering engineering careers, these upgrades are exciting.
“Learning to use all these tools again and like being able to make cool projects that I can take on a project,” Savage said.
The renovations at West Valley High School will be completed by June.
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