KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - According to an educator survey from the Tennessee Department of Education, career and technical teachers believe their students are ready for college and trade careers.
The survey, which asked K-12 teachers what they think, helps give students some help once they graduate high school.
In addition to this, a mentorship is also expanding to include college students with the goal to get more people interested in trade careers.
Ray Fisher said he has known he wanted to be a mechanic since he was 14.
“Well I grew up watching my grandfather and father work in the business,” he said.
Fisher said working in trades is important for a community to thrive.
“I mean, we got a lot of building going on, and of course there’s several trades in that,” Fisher said. “Electricians, plumbers, carpenters, automotive stuffs, great. It’d be great to have kids coming out of high school with some experience to hire at shops like ours.”
While Fisher knew exactly what he wanted to do for a career, other students may not be as confident, but that’s where tnAchieves comes in.
President Krissy DeAlejandro said the goal to break any stigma around trade careers.
“As we think about it from 40 years ago, it was a dirty, greasy job that we called vocational education,” she said. “It’s not those things anymore.”
For many students, this mentorship builds off the support from teachers they had in high school
Archie Dukes is an automotive and diesel instructor at Anderson County Career and Technical Center (ACCTC).
In Anderson County, a recent educator survey from the state said 43% of teachers feel they help students apply to jobs, colleges and programs, while 50% feel they help students narrow down their career path.
Dukes said for the past six years, it’s been rewarding to watch students gain confidence as they learn more about trade careers.
“Some students benefit much more working with their hands and there’s a lot of familiarity there, so it’s an easy thing for them to transition,” Dukes said.
To give students like Fisher a foundation for their future, Fisher said it’s just something worth a try because you never know.
“Something may spark and really get you interested, or maybe something will lead you to another trade. That’s you know more interesting than one or the other,” Fisher said.
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