Tyler Morrison is your typical high school senior. He loves sports — football, baseball, weightlifting — he likes to hang out with friends and he is looking ahead to what’s in store for him after high school.
While many his age are looking at four-year colleges (or longer), technical schools or even entering the working world right away, Morrison already has a jump-start on his career thanks to a program through the local school district.
Local plumbing company Frasier’s Plumbing, Heating, Cooling has been working with the local school district in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and its apprenticeship program for a few years now and is in its second year of the Inspire program.
Inspire Rhinelander, as they call it, is an initiative that offers students information and opportunities to learn about possible careers while they are in high school. It is the foundation of Rhinelander High School’s comprehensive academic and career planning program, which focuses on academic readiness, career and college readiness, and social emotional readiness.
Kyle Leighton, Frasier’s operations manager, said the company wasn’t sure where the program would be going initially so they started their own program called the Ride and Decide Program where high school students came and worked with the company for a week to see if it was a career of interest.
“From there we sort of found some success teaming up with the high school and have two seniors in the program and one junior that will be back with our team in the summer,” Leighton says.
Morrison is one of those seniors and has already decided that plumbing is what he wants to do in his future. Both local newspapers have done stories on Morrison and his plans to enter the plumbing industry. He plans to work at Frasier’s over the summer and eventually get into a plumbing apprenticeship at the local technical college.
“I’m learning a lot,” Morrison told one local paper. “I go in at 8 in the morning in the warehouse, going through pickups and putting stuff back on shelves.”
It’s inspiring knowing that some of the younger generation is seeing a bright future in the plumbing and other trades and for more to feel that way, it’s going to take more plumbing companies doing this type of work with local school districts.
Many schools across the country and even into Canada already have programs similar to the one in Northern Wisconsin. Reach out to your local school and see what they have to offer the students and how your plumbing company can help with that program.
If there isn’t one, maybe start up your own Ride and Decide Program like Frasier’s did. You’re next star plumbing could be waiting for that opportunity.
YOUR START?
I’m hoping in a number of years we’ll be featuring Morrison in the pages of Plumber magazine with his own company. Speaking of that, how did you get your start in plumbing? Let me know by emailing me at editor@plumbermag.com.
Enjoy this issue!
