Marana High School students enrolled in Kenton Webb's Welding program are gaining real world experience constructing their own welding booths for their program to expand, fabricating metal logos for all of the school campuses in the Marana Unified School District (MUSD), and creating sculptures for the town of Marana. 

They are also building excellent careers. According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, welders, cutters, and welder fitters can expect to make $18 to $31 per hour in Arizona. 

The Welding program started in 1975, when the high school opened says Cathie Raymond, MUSD Career and Technical Education Director. Webb, who currently has 210 students in his program, has been teaching and growing the program for the past 8 years. 

In addition to Marana, CTE/JTED Welding programs are also located at:

Welding is also a part of the curriculum at the JTED @ Tanque Verde Precision Manufacturing Program and at Catalina Foothills High School's Theatre Tech program. 

The iSTEM College and Career Academy Manufacturing Program at Desert View High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District won the Arizona School Boards Association first place Golden Bell Promise Award for a JTED/CTE program. 

The program received national accreditation from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills, as well as the Advance CTE Excellence in Action Award in Washington D.C. last spring.

Strong partnerships with the Southern Arizona Manufacturing Partners, Pima Community College (PCC), and Arizona@Work transform the local community by building economic development momentum through a skilled workforce, all while preparing students to be college and career ready. 

Sunnyside District CTE Director Kathy Prather (photo left) says that 85 percent of Cesar Gutierrez' students who graduated the program completed their post-secondary certificates and degrees at PCC. The remaining 15 percent either joined the military, moved away from the area, or started working in the industry full-time. 

The awards were presented to Gutierrez (photo right), Prather, Principal Jose Gastelum, and Superintendent Steve Holmes at the Arizona Biltmore on December 15. Prather says, "The success of this program has truly been an example of district leadership vision and community engagement."

Current year high school sophomores who sign up for JTED's Aviation program next year can take advantage of paid summer internships and free tuition for summer session PCC courses thanks to the Youth Career Connect Grant. 

The program, taught at the PCC Aviation Center, affords students the opportunity to earn 23 PCC credits toward their AirFrame and PowerPlant certifications while in high school. 

Stacey Rich, JTED Dual Enrollment and Outreach Specialist, says that job growth for Aviation mechanics is projected to be more than 20 percent over the next 10 years. She says that local employers have told her there is not enough local labor to fill the jobs that they have available.   

Priority enrollment for all Pima JTED Central Campus programs begins Tuesday, Jan. 17. Visit our website to enroll online.