UAHT’s Secondary Career & Technical Education Students Win Welding Award

Congratulations to three University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana Secondary Career & Technical Education students who won second place in the team “Weldathon” competition that took place.at the South Arkansas Community College last week in El Dorado.

Two of the students are from Fouke High School, Clayton Brantley and Mason Garrett and Joseph Brown from Arkansas High School made up the three-person team that represented.

 UAHT Welding Instructor Bob McFarland stated in a press release;

“I think it might have surprised them a little that they finished so well since this was their first competition, but they are talented and hardworking, so it did not surprise me. I teach my students to weld as if it were their job and their livelihoods depended on it. In this way, we are preparing our career center students to be valuable assets to companies right out of high school.”

The competition included seven teams from other secondary career and technical centers across the state of Arkansas. Teams were given blueprints and materials to build a project designed by industry personnel.

UAHT Dean of Secondary Programs, Mikki Curtis said;

“Our secondary career center programs offer students a great opportunity to learn valuable skills, like welding, to help them become job-ready right out of high school."

The UAHT Secondary Career Center gives area high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school at no charge.

Participating school districts in our area include:

• Arkansas High
• Arkansas Virtual Academy
• Blevins
• Fouke
• Genoa Central
• Hope
• Lafayette County
• Nevada
• Prescott
• Spring Hill

There is a long list of programs available at the UAHT Secondary Career & Technical Education Center including:

• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (UA Hope campus only)

• Industrial Maintenance Technology
• Information Technology: Coding
• General Health (Prerequisite for CNA and EMT)

• Certified Nursing Assistant
• Emergency Medical Technician
• Welding – Basic & Construction

For more information on this program and its classes, students should visit their high school counselor or career coach. You can also contact Mikki Curtis at (870) 722-8133 or visit their website at www.uaht.edu/secondary-career-center.

Get our free mobile app