For Central Tech students, learning doesn't stop when they leave the classroom. That was the case for second-year Central Tech welding student and Cleveland High School student Michael Longacre, who turned classroom training into a summer of hands-on industry experience with Allied Tank & Construction in Mannford.

With determination and a few phone calls, Longacre secured a welding position that allowed him to apply the skills he learned at Central Tech in a professional setting. "I was just looking for a job and calling places that were hiring welders," Longacre said. "They answered and gave me a chance."

Throughout the summer, Longacre worked alongside experienced welders, fabricating parts for tanks, building components for stairways, and traveling to job sites to assist with pipe repairs at a feedlot. The experience helped him build skills and confidence while learning the day-to-day demands of the industry. "Normally I'd be fabricating flanges and welding platforms for stairways," Longacre said. "There were even a few times I went on the road and worked with hydrochloric acid pumps."

Longacre's interest in welding began through his high school agriculture program and led him to enroll in Central Tech's Welding & Fabrication Technology class. He said the hands-on training and industry-recognized certifications he earned at Central Tech prepared him to step confidently into the workplace. "Learning how to stick weld and earning my OSHA 10-hour certification helped me a lot," Longacre said.

Longacre said working alongside experienced welders gave him a deeper understanding of the trade and reinforced what he learned in the classroom. "You learn a lot at Central Tech, but there are also things you can only learn on a job site," he said. That combination of classroom instruction and real-world experience is exactly what makes career training successful.

Longacre said the experience helped him feel more prepared for his future career and provided a valuable head start in the industry. For students interested in welding, he encourages them to seek opportunities that allow them to build practical experience early. "I'd tell them to start with a fabrication job in a shop," Longacre said. "It's the easiest way to get experience and get your name out."

Experiences like Longacre's demonstrate the value of partnerships between Central Tech, local industry, and communities. When businesses invest in students, everyone benefits. Students graduate with stronger skills, employers gain access to a trained workforce, and communities across the district grow through a pipeline of skilled professionals ready to meet workforce needs.