High school kids explore trades with STRAP program

by Philip A. Janquart

 It’s not always easy choosing what you are going to do with your life, especially for high school kids who are traditionally expected to graduate and move on to college.

 For some, college isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. 

 Add the fact that the country is currently experiencing a shortage of skilled trade workers, it’s easy to see why the U.S. Department of Labor initiated the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP).

 In Idaho, it’s called the Student To Registered Apprenticeship Program (STRAP).

 Under the program, high school kids are given the opportunity to learn about specialized trades, working toward certifications and garnering real-world job experience, all while earning their high school diplomas.

 Some who participate in the program have jobs waiting for them before they even leave high school.

 According to Idaho Department of Labor Director (IDOL), Robert Snyder, the program is helping to take out the guess work and filling a gap that is felt on a national level.

 “College isn’t for everybody. It certainly wasn’t for me when I was 18. I joined the Navy and then went to college. There are other paths out there and we provide that opportunity for kids,” he told the Weiser Signal American. “Nationally, when they graduate from an apprenticeship program, the average salary is $72,500 per year. How many college graduates can say that?”

 Three new Weiser High students, Dean Anderson, Devyn Young and Xzavier Gonzales, were recently accepted into the local program, a partnership between Weiser High School and Comfort Zone Heating and Cooling. Another student, Weiser High graduate Kale Poynor, 20, is currently finishing his third year of the program at Comfort Zone.

 “I was a senior when I started,” Poynor said. “I was interested in this and it all just kind of fit. It’s worked out real well.” 

 The four-year program requires interested students to reduce their schedule so they can go to work and gain experience. The hours they work go toward required hours for the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) program. Participants are also paid for their time. The Weiser School District uses the state distributed Advanced Opportunity Fund to pay for the cost of HVAC class hours obtained through the College of Western Idaho.

 “If we can get them started in high school and get at least the first year, if not the first year and a half, taken care of, they are on their way to their HVAC technical certification,” said Weiser High School Principal Dave Davies. “It is a wonderful opportunity for kids to get into the trades.”

 Snyder said the outlook for the nation’s stock of skilled workers is becoming bleaker as tens of thousands approach retirement age.

 “There is a tremendous shortage of people with skill,” he said. “Many companies are going to lose half to 75 percent of their skilled work force in the next five to seven years due to retirement, and there is nobody coming up behind these guys. So, this is a really nice program for the high schools to get involved in. The governor’s office and the IDOL are pushing to create more of these programs because the jobs are out there, it’s the people with skill that are lacking.”

 According to the Pew Research Center, the Baby Boomer work force has been declining by 2.2 million on average each year since 2010, or about 5,900 daily.

Why the shortage?

“Many have blamed our recent workforce crisis on our response to COVID; however, while the virus has exacerbated things, the problem was with us long before that. It was decades in the making, with an academic focus on ‘four-year degrees for all,’ employers ignoring the inevitable aging-out of the skilled Boomers, workforce development systems treating the K-12 system as a black box, outsourcing making skilled professions look riskier,” according to an Oct. 28 article by the National Center for College & Career Transitions.

A March 2021 article by Conger, a mid-west industrial solutions provider, acknowledged the benefit of partnerships between high schools, businesses, technical schools, and state labor agencies to restart apprenticeship programs and cited the need for a change in perception regarding skilled trades.

“In the 1980s, many companies began focusing on ways to streamline their operations. One strategy they used was eliminating any programs that didn’t contribute to a positive return on investment (ROI). Consequently, apprenticeships were nixed. Fast forward to today, and the result has been a dramatic reduction in the number of apprentices in the workforce,” the article stated. “Companies can reap a lot of value from partnering with local high schools and technical colleges to provide skilled labor training. By increasing awareness of the existence and benefits of skilled work, students can discover opportunities that they may have never considered before.”

Comfort Zone

 Comfort Zone owners Doug and Gina Applegate, who opened shop in Weiser in 1996, decided to participate in the STRAP program in 2018.

 “Quite frankly, it’s been challenging finding employees, so this is another avenue that gives us an opportunity to try and find folks who might want to get into a trade, work with their hands, and provide customer service to the communities in our area,” Gina said. “We just need young talent that is willing to come work with us.”

 Doug and Gina have been happy with the program and the students they have brought on.

 “Often times, the trades get forgotten about – electricians, plumbers, HVAC. It’s something that is not even brought up to kids as an option and, obviously, I’m a firm believer in the trades because I’ve been doing it a long time and it’s worked out well for us, so we think it’s a good opportunity,” she said.