Grant awards also will be used to renovate the high school shop, purchase equipment, supplies
Jan. 5, 2024 / Bonanza Junior/Senior High School is starting a two-year pre-apprenticeship training program in construction and carpentry and purchasing equipment to revitalize its shop thanks to nearly $500,000 in grants from the Bureau of Labor and Industries and Oregon Department of Education.
Students graduating from the two-year program will earn a pre-apprenticeship certificate that can be used to enter the skilled trades. Bonanza hired a construction and agriculture mechanics teacher and offered its first pre-apprenticeship class this fall. Plans are to offer three more classes in September 2024 under a state-registered program.
More than 60% of Bonanza’s senior class has shown an aptitude or interest in the skilled trades, said Bonanza Principal Jordan Osborn, and students have asked for help in getting the skills they need.
“They want jobs in the skilled trades, but need training in high school to help them get those jobs,” Osborn said. “This program is life changing for students in Bonanza.”
Klamath County School District started a state-registered pre-apprenticeship program in construction and carpentry at Henley High School in September 2023. With the $228,000 BOLI Future Ready Oregon grant, that program is expanding to Bonanza, operating in partnership with Klamath Community College, Southern Oregon Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, and industry and trade organizations.
Henley is expected to graduate 12 to 15 students from its pre-apprenticeship program in 2025. Bonanza’s first pre-apprenticeship graduates will be in 2026.
At Henley, 25 high school students are currently taking pre-apprenticeship classes and 64 middle school students have started introductory classes in the new Construction Trades Building on the Henley campus. Projects include renovating the high school’s soccer field team shelters and building tiny homes in partnership with KCC’s carpentry apprenticeship team.
“The early success of the Henley program is inspiring the district and its partners to continue to pursue our joint goal of providing pre-apprenticeship at all Klamath County schools, no matter how remote,” said Adam Randall, CTE coordinator at Henley, who was instrumental in writing the BOLI grants for both Henley and Bonanza. “Students at Bonanza don’t have the ability to travel 60 miles roundtrip to take pre-apprenticeship classes at Henley or Klamath Community College. It is imperative that we equitably provide access to training to our rural students so they can access apprenticeship and the quality of life it provides.”
Bonanza also was awarded a $250,000 ODE CTE revitalization grant that will be used to renovate the shop and purchase needed equipment for the program and career and technical education classes. The renovated shop will host the pre-apprenticeship program and include new welding booths, a CNC machine, tool room, and small motors room where students will learn how to build, fix and operate small motors.
The grant also will enable Bonanza and Henley to purchase four trailers to support the transportation of supplies and construction and carpentry projects for both schools.
Bonanza expects to enroll 35 students in the program over the next year. All Bonanza high school students will be required to taken an introductory to CTE/construction/manufacturing class and junior high school students will take an exploratory class.
Osborn, who announced the grant awards and plans to the community last month, is excited to move forward. The two current grants are among $1.4 million in grants the school has received in the last two years to improve facilities and student opportunities.
“The trades are near and dear to my heart,” he said. “I come from a family that works in commercial concrete, and to be able to provide an avenue to change students’ lives by helping them get a high wage/high demand job in the trades is not only professionally gratifying, but also personally.”
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