Northwest Technical School students partner with H&H Trailers
SUBMITTED BY NORTHWEST TECHNICAL SCHOOL
Northwest Technical School welding and fabrication students are shown on a trailer they completed with materials provided by H&H Trailers.
MARYVILLE, Mo. — Northwest Technical School students in the Welding and Fabrication program recently completed a hands-on learning project with help from H&H Trailers and two former NTS students.
Cole Lawyer and John Biddenback, NTS alums and supervisors at H&H Trailers, worked with current welding students under the instruction of Nick Sherlock, NTS welding instructor, according to a news release from the school. Designed to give students real-world experience and expose them to industry expectations, processes and standards, the project offered students supervised guidance with proper layout, fit-up, welding techniques and workflow required to build a trailer frame to professional specifications.
“Helping Sherlock teach the kids real-life work and showing them tips and tricks used in the real world was a joy,” Lawyer said in the release. “All of the students were respectful, asked many great questions, and it was amazing to see how interested they were in learning.”
Lawyer then hauled the completed trailer frame to the H&H Red Oak facility where it was powder coated, wired, assembled and floored, providing the students with insight into how a fabricated product moves through the final stages of manufacturing.
On Jan. 15, Biddenback, Lawyer and Brian Manwaring, H&H general manager, returned the completed trailer to NTS where it was officially signed over to the Maryville R-II School District.
“This project highlights the value of industry partnerships and the impact of former students returning to invest in the next generation,” NTS Director Jeremy Ingraham said in the release, noting that building strong relationships with industry partners provides students with authentic learning experiences, preparing them for successful careers.
