FORT WORTH, Texas — With the uncertainty of the pandemic, more young people are reconsidering their options and changing gears when it comes their future career plans.
What You Need To Know
- Fort Worth ISD's Trimble Tech High School provides programs that focus on different work trades
- The Gold Seal programs the high school offers usually cost around $35,000
- Students can graduate with certificates and enough experience to head into the workforce
Some are turning to trade or vocational school as an option to save time and money in the long run.
Fort Worth Independent School District’s Trimble Tech High School is helping some start on trades as early as freshman year, with programs that give them a head start on their life goals.
Kimberly Morales is a 2016 graduate from one of the Gold Seal programs at Trimble Tech High School. She studied cosmetology and was able to get licensed by the state of Texas to practice the profession upon graduation. One of the reasons she says she went through the program is because she believes in keeping her options open.
“You don’t have to just fit one mold and do one certain job for the rest of your life,” said Morales, who has been licensed as a cosmetologist for five years.
Morales is the oldest of four siblings and now also a first generation college nursing student. She is getting ready to make people look their best again after taking some time away to focus in school during the pandemic.
“Definitely very excited to get back into the field,” she said as she picked up beauty supplies at a local store for professionals in Fort Worth.
As a full-time student, this is a way for her to make good money around her schedule.
”Do somebody’s hair, you know, get more income coming in,” she said.
The Gold Seal programs the technical high school offers also save students thousands of dollars.
“Normally this costs about $35,000. In high school it is free. The only thing they do is pay $25 for their permit with the state,” said cosmetology instructor Carrie Black.
It is also an opportunity for students who do not know if college is a good fit.
“Right now I’m not thinking about it, maybe just stick to cosmetology,” Genesis Morales said.
The youngest of the Morales siblings is a sophomore in the cosmetology program, following in her big sister's steps.
“A role model for me to come to Tech,” she said.
Genesis is paving her own way and planning to make the most of the license she is eager to get after her four years at Trimble Tech.
“Maybe open up my own salon,” she said.
The high school cosmetology student says Ms. Black’s lessons go beyond the classroom.
“What you should charge for your service and how much your service is worth,” she shared about what she is learning in the program.
Just on the other side of campus, their brother Christopher is also making his mark.
“He is one of the first ones to gain the certification,” said welding program instructor Bryan Fields.
He will graduate in the spring with a welder certificate and enough experience to go out into the workplace to a high demand industry right out of high school.
“It’s basically a job that follows you anywhere you go,” said Christopher Morales.
The senior says he plans to grow within welding over the years because he knows the skills and knowledge he has gained will be needed more than ever.
“It’s a trade that we’re losing and we gotta step up to the plate,” he said.
The American Welding Society predicts the industry will see a shortage of about 300,000 welders by 2024.
“You have a lot of the older generation that’s getting ready to retire and not enough young people that have learned this skilled trade,” said Mr. Fields.
As a big sister, Kimberly could not be prouder of her two younger siblings.
“With this, it definitely gives you a stepping stone or gives you a job security knowing that you’re gonna have income,” she said.
With a trade under their belt, she added that it is a peace of mind knowing if they change their plans in the future, they are always going to have a trade to grow in or fall back on in life.