Welding students at Indian Lake High School will have high quality equipment to work with when classes resume in the fall.
During the May Board of Education meeting, the board accepted a donation of three gently-used welding machines valued at more than $5,000 from Lacal Equipment, Incorporated in nearby Jackson Center.
ILHS Welding instructor Dave Snapp says this upgrade is much appreciated, “It will be like our welding students are driving Cadillacs. And it will get them familiar with the type of pulse welding that factories are using now, so it’s an easier transition from school to work.”
ILHS has been offering welding classes for the past several years, with monetary support from the school’s 21st Century Grant. Because of this history, Superintendent Rob Underwood explains, ILHS has been able to build a business partnership with Lacal leaders. Some ILHS graduates, who are trained in welding, are employed at Lacal.
Underwood says, “We're proud to be able to offer unique, hands-on learning opportunities to our students in specialty courses. We know that we could not do it without generous support from companies such as Lacal. We hope that we can return the favor through collaborative work experiences and by continuing to produce graduates who are quality employees for our local businesses.”
An electrical update will be installed over the summer in the ILHS welding shop to be able to use the new equipment.