Skill trades are offering some South Tama students the opportunity for a career following their high school graduation.

The Career Academy is a program in which students can take classes to earn their certificate in either welding, automotive or tool and dye through Marshalltown Community College.

Starting in the fall, five South Tama students will continue on with their program. Traditionally the certificate program is a year long program. Students who are currently in high school can spread the courses over two years. In the morning students attend high school classes for their core curriculum and in the afternoon they attend their certificate program classes at MCC.

As the Baby Boomer generation is retiring their absence is leaving a gap in the skilled labor industry. Some local Iowans are working to fill those gaps including some South Tama staff.

In September, STC high school counselors Dan Lopez and Brett Karkosh will be attending an event to promote skilled trades. The event is put on by the Home Builders Association of Iowa and will feature actor Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs. The event is held to advocate for a greater focus and awareness for skilled laborers. Rowe, who is the Executive Producer of the HGTV series Dirty Jobs, has long been an advocate for skilled trades, even appearing in front of the United States Congress on multiple occasions to offer testimony. It’s a mission that the HBA of Iowa wants to carry out all through the state.

The event itself has a special connection to the Tama-Toledo Community as the event creator is Tama’s own Brandon Patterson, son of Mark and Sue Patterson. Patterson graduated from South Tama in 1999. He is the event creator and remains one of four event organizers. Patterson has been on the Greater Des Moines Home Builder’s Association for over 5 years as well as the Home Builders Association of Iowa board for two years. On top of that he sits on other committees such as the Waukee Chamber of Commerce where he chaired the economic development committee for three years.

“Through the years our goal has been to create a large awareness campaign for our industries and the awareness of what our organization does for the public. We have many annual events, but other than that we haven’t done anything to the level of this Mike Rowe event. This event is step 2, step 1 being the Skilled Trades Academy at Central Campus. We are already working on future steps to continue the message & the awareness that this event will bring. Through teaming up with all these great State of Iowa organizations on the Mike Rowe event we have opened up many new relationships that will allow us to expand the message,” said Patterson.