Tag Archives: Welding

Putnam County High School welding students excel

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Putnam County High School welding students showing off a see saw they made for the PCHS campus include, from left, Clinton Lea, Aaron Clark, Clinton
Clemons, Brandon Marshall, Tyler Deloach, Douglas Gordon, David Sides and Brandon Price.

 

The Eatonton Messenger
July 14, 2024

There are more than 25 students at Putnam County High School enrolled in welding courses through Central Georgia Technical College, all of whom are also Youth Empowerment for Success (YES) program members. Welding instructor, Aaron Clark, has always been a proponent of incorporating project-based learning into the welding curriculum as opposed to merely practicing on mundane six-inch steel plates or utilizing unrealistic 3D simulators.

In Clark’s class, students at all levels get to participate in the creation of welding projects throughout their time in the program, many of which are considered community service based projects. For example, last year, the school’s YES welding students fabricated 10 bike racks for distribution throughout the community. This year, those bike racks were donated to the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce and installed for use along an Eatonton bike tour route.

This fall, YES students created three scarecrows as a part of their entry into Eatonton Main Street’s Art Bliz Scarecrow Contest to represent the different areas of the program. The welders combined their skills to create a scarecrow to represent their stake in the YES program, and the entire entry ended up winning first place!

However, the most recent buzz around the PCHS campus surrounded the large-scale playground equipment the welders built and installed. When you first arrive at PCHS you will now be greeted by a 24- foot, steel see-saw that has adjustable seats. Welding students also constructed a 24-foot monkey bar system with varying levels to increase the challenge of making the trek across them. Clark envisioned that these two projects could also benefit both math and science departments through fun, hands-on activities of their own too.

YES Presentation logoFurthermore, earlier this semester, senior welding students competed at the Skills USA Leadership and Skills Conference (SLSC) at both regional and state levels. PCHS welders brought home four second place wins and one first place win at region, and also scored a third place win at state!

Each of these examples provides evidence that Clark’s philosophy on teaching welding to PCHS students has had a very practical application, and supports a high level of achievement. In fact, this dual-enrollment program at PCHS is so successful that at this year’s graduation ceremony the senior welding students will be awarded a combined total of more than 30 Technical College Certificates (TCCs). What is even more impressive is that two of those ambitious senior welders, Austin Sanders and Sterling Underwood, also earned a degree from CGTC in Welding and Joining Technology in conjunction with their PCHS diploma.

The Youth Empowerment for Success Program at Putnam County High school was created with the main goal of providing students with opportunities and skills that will help them be successful when they leave PCHS! Former Principal Barry Lollis noted, “Our students’ successes and passions in their area of study are ignited by the quality of their instructors and the engaging strategies they utilize in their classrooms.”PCHS_Crest_300dpi

 

 

Texas-based Manufacturer Now Building Prefabricated Homes in Putnam County, GA - Creating 200-300 Jobs and investing $20 Million

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Legacy Housing logo

EATONTON, GA (April 27, 2025)
The Putnam Development Authority announced today that Legacy Housing, LTD has reached two major milestones in their first 90 days of production:

  • Manufactured 100 single-wide homes
  • Manufactured first double-wide home

The project began in July 2015, when the Horton Homes was pending the loss of their manufacturing facilities to a judicial tax sale. “Even though we were facing a terrible loss of our once largest employer in the county, the Putnam Development Authority recognized the opportunity that locating another mobile home manufacturer at the vacant plant would help replace lost jobs,” recalled Terry Schwindler, Economic Development Director of the Putnam Development Authority.

Legacy Housing LTD desired to expand their manufacturing and distribution to the east coast. On November 3, 2015, Legacy acquired the Horton Homes facilities and began a very aggressive plan to ready the first production line for a February 2016 start.

Legacy manufactured 60 new homes with their 90 employees in March 2016.

“The manufactured homes being built are in the ‘mid-low to mid-medium price range’ because we feel like there are a lot more Chevys and Fords sold than Cadillacs,” said Mick Barker, COO of Legacy Housing. To meet the demands of a growing trend across the nation to live more simply, Legacy also has plans to start building Tiny Houses (less than 400 sq. ft.) at the Eatonton plant in the next 30 days, according to Barker.

20160310_115607By July 2016, Legacy plans to manufacture 8 houses per day and employ over 150 people. They estimate 2016 revenues will reach $30 million. A second production line is expected to start in 2017 with an additional 150-200 employees hired.

“We are very excited that Legacy Housing has chosen Eatonton-Putnam County as the location to expand their business,“ said Bill Sharp, Chairman of the Putnam Development Authority.

In addition to providing retail financing for their home buyers, Legacy Housing’s Inventory Finance Tool provides their independent & franchise manufactured home dealers the ultimate tool in dealer inventory financing.

About Legacy Housing:

Legacy Housing was created in 2005 to quench the demand for quality-built housing at affordable prices. Number four in home sales in the country, Legacy Housing is an independent manufacturer of prefabricated homes that has two manufacturing plants in Texas which employ about 500 people. For more information about Legacy Housing Ltd go to: http://legacyhousingltd.com/

About Putnam Development Authority:

The purpose of the Putnam Development Authority is to develop, promote, and expand for the public good and general welfare, industry and trade within Putnam County. For more information, visit the website at http://putnamdevelopmentauthority.com/

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Contact:
Terry Schwindler, Economic Development Director
tschwindler@PutnamDevelopmentAuthority.com
706-816-8099

 

Manufactured home plant in Eatonton now making units; may hire 300

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banner picHomes rolling off the line
By Lynn Hobbs

About a dozen county and city officials visited Legacy Housing in Eatonton last week, met the owners and employees and toured the facility, watching manufactured homes literally rolling off the line.

“These houses will be the best product in this region,” owner Curt Hodgson said. “We’re going to build a good product and we’re going to put 200-300 Putnam County people to work.”

Hodgson and co-owner, Kenny Shipley, gave an overview of their company and their goals for the plant starting up in Eatonton.

The manufacturing plant in Eatonton’s South Industrial Park is located in one of the former Horton Homes facilities on Industrial Boulevard past Haband. It currently has one assembly line running, with 75 employees rolling out one to two houses per day.Legacy Housing logo

Noting the building is as large as four football fields, Chief Operating Officer Mick Barker said everything is built on the inside.

“I’ve never been in a facility where you could pull materials off the truck and start working right there and never get wet,” he commented. “It’s unbelievable.

Barker forecasts the company will produce $30 million out of the Eatonton facility this year, noting two homes a day will be produced initially, and that number will grow to eight a day within 12-18 months, based on market conditions. The owners expect to invest $5-$10 million in the facility this year, and another $20 million down the road, he said during the tour, noting “That’s a big investment, but we expect to get a payback on it.”

When a county employee commented that all the employees were smiling, Barker said “These people have been out of a job for a while, and they’re happy to be back at work.” When questioned about salaries, the COO said the hourly employees are paid $10 to $13 per hour, based on experience and job qualification. After 90 days and a performance evaluation, they will start receiving a hitch bonus of $1 to $3 for eagroup picch unit, or section, run (a double-wide is two sections).

“Bonuses will be paid weekly, and they will make some good money when the bonuses are figured into their salaries,” he added.

Those interested in a job should apply in person at the plant at 101 Industrial Blvd. in Eatonton, Barker said.

The manufactured homes being built are in the “mid-low to mid-medium price range,” Barker said, “because we feel like there are a lot more Chevys and Fords sold than Cadillacs.” Plans are to also build Tiny Houses (less than 400 sq. ft.) at the Eatonton plant, according to Barker, to meet the demands of a growing trend across the nation to live more simply.

flooing pic

 

Putnam County High School’s YES Program showing results

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The first year of the Youth Empowerment for Success (YES) Program has been a successful one for Putnam County High School.

The following Certifications and Technical College Credits (TCC) were earned during the 2014-2015 school year:

Fall 2014

  • 34 CPR and First Aid Certifications
  • 18 Welding TCCs

Spring 2015

  • 30 Nurse Aide TCCs
  • 15 passed the NACES exam to be placed on Georgia’s State Registry for CNAs
  • 45 CPR and First Aid Certifications
  • 46 Welding TCCs
  • 30 Criminal Justice TCCs
  • 5 HVACR TCCs
  • 28 GeorgiaBEST Certificates
  • 33 YES Program Completer Cords

To see all the results and view the full report click here: YES 2014-2015 results

 

YES Program Mentor Event at PCHS on April 16th

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YES Presentation logoPutnam County High School is hosting an informational session about YES Program Mentoring on Thursday, April 16th at 2:00 p.m.

A mentor can make a real difference in a young person’s life. Mentors are people who have the qualities of good role models. Mentors are SPECIAL. They are:

  • Supportive – they encourage their mentee to learn and grow.
  • Practical – they give insight about staying on track and identifying priorities.
  • Educators (outside the classroom) – they educate mentees about soft skills necessary in a professional setting and about their own experiences with their career.
  • Caring – they care about their mentees’ progress in school, career planning, and character development.
  • Insightful – they use their personal experiences to help their mentee avoid mistakes and learn about good professional practices.
  • Accessible – they are available to their mentee on a regular basis.
  • Listeners – they maintain and give mentees their full attention while together.

We are looking for people to make a difference in the lives of our students. Students involved in the YES program are currently taking academic and/or occupational college-level coursework. A YES Program mentor would encourage and support student(s) as they progress through their rigorous high school career. We are asking that mentors make a one-year commitment to a mentee. This relationship would consist of face-to-face visits at least once per quarter with frequent contact in-between that time via phone calls, texts, Skype, Facetime, emails, etc. Some of our students would like to connect with someone in the field of study they are interested in, while others need more general soft skills guidance. As YES Program Staff we will work with you, and the students, to foster a positive relationship that is best suited for both of you.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a YES Program mentor please RSVP for this meeting to either Donna Silva or Katherine Reid so we can plan accordingly.

Katherine Reid, YES Program Manager 706-485-9971 x1216 katherine_reid@putnam.k12.ga.us
Donna Silva, YES Program Assistant Manager 706-485-9971 x1230 donna_silva@putnam.k12.ga.us

Mentor Event Invitation

 

 

Business & Industry Association Meeting a Success

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The Business & Industry Association Meeting held on Thursday, January 29, 2025 focused on Resources for Hiring and Training Workforce. Local businesses were able to connect with the free resources available to them in Putnam County. Topics of discussion included Work Based Learning programs, internships, dual enrollment, specialized business training, recruitment, and tax credits.

To view the presentations and handouts, click the links below:

Putnam County High School
Presentation by Eric Arena at PDA Meeting 2-9-15
PCHS Work-Based Learning Presentation 1-29-15
PCHS YES Presentation 1-29-15

Central Georgia Technical College
CGTC - Putnam County Center Programs of Study
CGTC - Adult Education Program brochure
CGTC - Economic Development Brochure
CGTC - 2014 Scorecard

Georgia Department of Labor
GDOL workforce solutions for businesses-2014
GDOL Federal Bonding Program
GDOL Work Opportunity Tax Credit

For more info or to sponsor the next event, please contact Terry Schwindler at (706) 816-8099 or tschwindler@PutnamDevelopmentAuthority.com

PCHS students ‘weld better than most in state’

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Posted: Thursday, January 8, 2025
Lynn Hobbs lynn@msgr.com Smith Communications Inc.

When he became a welder in 2002, Aaron Clark didn’t dream he’d spend his days in a high school classroom. Yet these days he spends four hours, five days a week at Putnam County High School.

“I was behind a hood, so getting into this was a whole different ballgame,” Clark said of becoming a welding technology instructor. “Then when they threw a high school in, it became another world.”

Clark worked in a small fabrication shop, then an industrial setting for eight years before he became an adult-education instructor at Southern Crescent Technical College. He now teaches at Central Georgia Technical College, which is partnering with Putnam County High School to offer dual-enrollment classes. He said the students at CGTC and PCHS learn the same curriculum, but high school students have “different personalities.”

Dual-enrollment courses, in which students can earn advanced education credits while still in high school, are on the rise at PCHS as it has become a leader of schools across the state in Georgia’s Career Pathway method of education. Students earn technical certificates in courses, such as the one Clark teaches, while in high school, enabling them to be eligible for a job as soon as they graduate, or to continue their studies in that field.

College-bound students also benefit from dual enrollment because they earn credit in college core academic courses, eliminating the cost of paying a college for them. Clark said the dual-enrollment program “is great, because it gives (the students) options.”

Because he’s college-bound, Glenn Brooks doesn’t seem to fit the stereotype of a welding student; yet the PCHS junior said he “thought it was awesome” when he first heard of it.

“I have learned a lot. It feels like we are playing around, but we are learning,” Glenn said, noting he currently has earned 14 technical college credits, and two certificates, in the course; he should have 18 credits by the end of this school year.

“So next year, I will be able to get all the certificates – and it’s all free,” he said, explaining his plans are to pursue another course of study in college, but he may work as a welder while in school, or he may use the certification some other time in his life.

“This is a stepping stone to making a livable wage while you are pursuing a next adventure,” Clark said. “If they want to be welders, then I encourage that. But I also encourage them to continue their education so they will always have options, because you never know what’s going to happen in life.”

PCHS began offering welding in the 2013/2014 school year. Clark said there were 15-16 students enrolled in four different classes, who earned 13-15 college credit hours total. This year, there are 24 students and they are earning 15 college credit hours each.

In their first year, students can earn Basic Shielded Metal Arc Welder and Gas Metal Arc Welder certificates; in the second year they can earn Vertical Shielded Metal Arc Welder and Advanced Shielded Metal Arc Welder certificates.

“So they can go pretty much anywhere in the country and walk into big industry and have a job,” Clark said, noting that a 16-year-old from PCHS last year received a job offer after earning the first two certificates. “Everybody that passes my class can weld better than most people in the state.”

Clark said two PCHS students, who worked summer jobs welding, came back and told him that supervisors on the job asked the students to demonstrate their method, and told them they were the best welders in the shop.

“That’s what I and CGTC expect,” Clark said. “We put out quality welders; I’m very proud to say that. I hold them to higher standards. If you expect mediocrity, that’s what you get, and that wouldn’t say much for CGTC or PCHS.”

Clark said the students learn by actually doing the work.

“In welding, all the textbook knowledge means nothing if your hands can’t do the work,” he said. “So by the third day in my class, we are burning rods.”

Having prior experience in welding before being in Clark’s class, senior Brandon Williams said, “I thought I knew a lot about welding.”

“But Mr. Clark taught me there’s a lot I didn’t know, and I discovered I had some old habits that were not right,” he added.

Brandon said Clark’s class helped him learn welding is the career he wants to pursue.

“Mr. Clark changed my whole way of thinking about it,” he said. “I’m going to CGTC next year to continue it, and since I already have some credits, I will finish early. You can’t beat that.”

More hands-on certification classes begin in January

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PCHS logo

Posted: Thursday, December 4, 2024
Lynn Hobbs lynn@msgr.com Smith Communications Inc.

Local students soon will be creating diesel fuel out of vegetables and earning certifications for various careers.

During a tour of Putnam County High School’s new College and Career Academy Nov. 20 with the Eatonton Kiwanis Club, CCA CEO Keith Ellenberg said the construction is “on schedule and under budget” and should receive its final inspection sometime in the middle of December.

The school system received a $2.6 million reimbursable grant from the state in December 2011 to expand the existing CCA program at PCHS. Construction began in May 2014, and the building is expected to be open when students return January 5 from their winter break. The 14,000-square-foot building has four high-bay labs and two classrooms in which four career pathways will be taught, Ellenberg said. It also has a laundry area with hookups for a washer and dryer.

Students have been taking the classes in other classrooms in the high school during the first semester, and those will be transferred to the new building in January. It is connected to the high school by a closed corridor.

The classes include:

  • Alternative energy – Students will create biodiesel, solar, wind and geothermal power on working equipment, including a biodiesel generator, Ellenberg said. “We will put (waste and new vegetable oil) in and get diesel fuel out,” he noted. They also will create solar energy for heat and for power and will use wind turbines to work with fuel cells and to power motors. Principal Barry Lollis said PCHS received an alternative energy grant in 2012 to get the equipment and requested the funds be held until the new facility opened.
  • Construction – The current construction class is an HVAC certification class, taught by an instructor from Central Georgia Technical College, Ellenberg said. The instructor already has been teaching students in a high school classroom, and they will continue their studies in the new lab, allowing them to earn technical college certificates. Students will work with residential and commercial equipment.
  • Automotive collision repair and body work – With the existing program currently housed at Putnam County Middle School, the new lab means “we will no longer have to transport students to and from (PCMS),” Ellenberg said. Funding for the equipment came from a grant received three years ago, he added.
  • Health care – The four-bed lab will provide hands-on learning for students, who can earn a Certified Nursing Assistant certificate in high school. Lollis said the goal is for students to complete the medical assistant degree before they graduate, noting that health care has “‘stackable credentials’ that build to a diploma or degree by earning certificates along the way.”

The health care equipment is funded by a Youth Career Connect Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

About 150 of PCHS’ 680 students currently are part of the school’s dual-enrollment program, Ellenberg said, getting both high school and college credit for courses taught by college instructors.

“In the broad scheme of things, they will not have debt associated with obtaining a higher education because they will have earned their credits and/or certification in high school,” he noted.

There currently are 30 CCAs in the state, Ellenberg said. A grand opening ceremony with state officials, including Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, is planned for January after students begin taking classes there.

PCHS graduation rate at 81.5

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Up nearly 13 percent from last year

Posted: Thursday, November 6, 2024
Lynn Hobbs lynn@msgr.com Smith Communications Inc.

Graduation rates for the Class of 2014 released by the Georgia Department of Education Oct. 30 show Putnam County High School’s rate is 81.5 – an increase of more than 12.7 percent from the 2013 rate of 72.3.

The PCHS rate also exceeds the overall state graduation rate of 72.5.

PCHS Principal Barry Lollis said school officials were given the information almost a week earlier, but it were not able to release it.

“The school leadership has been about to pop because we wanted to tell everybody,” he said last week. “I don’t know how to explain how excited I am.”

Putnam’s rate has risen each year since 2011, when it was 63.37; but this most recent gain of 9.2 points is the biggest jump. PCHS administrators and support staff served the faculty a celebratory lunch in the school’s café Friday.

“The PCHS faculty is an extraordinary cadre of educators. They work diligently to help all students find success in the manner that best suits each student,” Lollis said.

“As the principal, I am very proud of what our students and teachers are accomplishing,” he added, slipping in a “Go War Eagles!” exclamation at the end.

Lollis, who began as principal in July 2011, attributes the success to several factors, including the school system’s charter status, which provides flexibility that allows career pathways, dual enrollment and project-based learning.

“We’ve gotten farther and farther away from grouping students,” he explained. “So because we are focusing on students as individuals, they are getting to be a part of something they like and enjoy.”

Students participate in what they are learning, instead of just reading it in a book, Lollis said.

“So they want to do well,” he noted. “We’re finding ways for them to do something they like while still meeting the challenges of academics.”

From a news studio to a welding shop, performing arts theater to a JROTC shooting range, or culinary kitchen to an automotive shop, students have many options to find what they like. And the new College and Career Academy, slated to open in January, will provide even more.

Giving an example of the level of “participation” students get in their classes, Lollis said he and CCA CEO Keith Ellenberg had just met with a vendor to order equipment for the CCA’s new alternative energy lab.

When the vendor showed them what other schools were using, Lollis said he and Ellenberg explained they did not want models.

“We said we are not teaching about it, we want the students to actually produce some alternative energy. We want to let them put what they make in a car and drive it,” Lollis said. “The vendor said, ‘Nobody else in the state is doing that.’

“To me, that’s what is helping with our graduation rate, because they can earn college credits, which has ramped up the rigor with academics, and it has ramped up the experience kids get in their electives,” Lollis said. “They’re not just reading about it and doing small-scale, tabletop experiments, they are learning how it’s actually done in industry.”

Noting PCHS’s high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (78 percent) and students with disabilities (13 percent), Lollis said the increase in academic achievement is “really good.”

Cagle praises Putnam College and Career Academy

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Lt. Governor:
‘What you are doing is working’

 

Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2024 12:00 am

Lynn Hobbs lynn@msgr.com Smith Communications Inc.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, left, talks with Putnam County schools’ Nutrition Director Abdul Lindsey, before touring the academy.

Georgia’s second-in-command visited Putnam County High School Monday “to see firsthand” how the school’s College and Career Academy is doing, he said; and he seemed to like what he saw.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle spent about an hour at the school, talking with Putnam County Charter School System Superintendent Eric Arena, College and Career Academy CEO Keith Ellenberg, PCHS Principal Barry Lollis, Putnam Board of Education Chairman Steve Weiner and BOE member Tom Lawrence.

“From what I’ve seen, your charter system is very successful,” he said to them at the end of his visit. “I thank God for you guys and how far y’all have gone with these initiatives, and how you’ve advanced in a major way.”

Cagle has served as lieutenant governor since 2006. He created the Charter Systems Act and Career Academies Initiatives in 2007.

Acknowledging each is “Cagle’s brainchild,” Arena gave a PowerPoint presentation about PCCSS’ success with these programs during Cagle’s visit Monday.

The presentation showed that Putnam County’s scores on various accountability measures, for the most part, have risen steadily the past five years – exceeding the state in Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, and scoring 13th in the state in the College and Career Readiness Performance Index in 2013.

Arena said the “bricks and mortar” of the new CCA facility under construction adjacent to the high school would not work “if the foundation is not solid.”

He referred to the readiness of students for such programs before they entered high school.

“As you can see, we are well on our way of establishing a foundation for our kids as they move forward,” Arena said.

Cagle learned that students in Putnam’s CCA can earn up to six certificates in welding, four in healthcare, and six to eight in information technology, as well as be certified in employability skills.

“Not only are you giving the students a skill; but with that skill, they can go anywhere in the world and be gainfully employed,” he noted.

Noting that 20 percent of PCHS students are currently participating in dual-enrollment courses, Arena said students are earning college credits at no cost in high school that will save their parents money when they student go to college.