Readin’ writin’ and rollin’ coal
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By Dave Taylor
If things go as planned, students at Hancock County High School will have the opportunity to learn the fine art of diesel engines in a proposed diesel program that looks like it will get state approval.
Transportation Supervisor Brice Duncan presented the outline of the program at Thursday’s school board meeting, pitching a program that he said will bring very marketable skills to students here.
Students in the program will learn how to work on the systems on medium and heavy duty trucks including diesel engines, brakes, electrical, and steering and suspension.
“As long as they have passed the standards in those courses, just by taking the class they’ll be able to have certification in inspection, maintenance and minor repair in al of those fields,” Duncan said.
The skills can lead to jobs at the local trucking companies or any place that needs mechanics for their fleets.
“We have all kinds of trucks running up and down the road. They’ll be able to go to those places, have a certification in hand, and say I’m ready to work,” he said. “I think that provides an opportunity for a group of kids that we have that some of the other programs we offer do not do.”
Board chairman Allen Kennedy said his experience at Aleris taught him that there’s always a need for good mechanics.
“I remember trying to hire mechanics at Aleris and they were, pardon the expression, scarce as hen’s teeth. It was pitiful,” Kennedy said. “If this individual that graduates here with that certification, I guarantee you they’d hire them in production in hopes to get them in maintenance at some later date. So it’s to me a win-win.”
Room for the hands-on learning will come in the form of a renovated bus garage, where one underused bay will become a classroom. In-class learning will be done in the main building in normal classes.
While there will be plenty of wrenching, there will also be the same requirements of reading and writing as in other curricula, but concentrating on reading and understanding technical manuals and service literature.
Interest in the program appears to be high.
“They surveyed I think 228 students, eighth through 11th grade,” Duncan said, “and we had 41 percent of those students that were surveyed said they were interested. So that equals about to about 76, 75 kids right in that range that were interested…”
Initiating the program takes three steps, with the first two already having been completed. The Kentucky Department of Education has approved the initial proposal, and the student surveys showed interest. The third is for final approval from the KDE.
Barring the unforeseen, with KDE approval the program will begin next school year.
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