Yesterday at our Red Wing Shoes protective footwear event, we were treated to a visit from second-year Building Trades/Carpentry student Nathan Houchens, who stopped by to pick up his third pair of Red Wing Boots in the last two years. Houchens, an 11th grader at Monticello High School, began interning with Albemarle County Public Schools’ Building Services Department last summer as part of a CATEC interview event. He has received two pairs of free Red Wing Shoes through CATEC and Building Services has provided him with a pair as part of his required personal protective footwear for his internship.
He participated in a paid internship all summer for Building Services and when school began this year, he transitioned into a schedule where he interns from 7:30-12:30 each day as part of his CATEC hours and goes to Monticello High School to complete his required coursework there. Not only does he learn new skills at his internship, he also earns high school credit and competitive income. He says each day at work is different and he enjoys working on PA systems and learning electrical skills.
Houchens’ supervisors in Building Services are very satisfied with his progress in his internship. They say he arrives on time each day, is willing to learn new skills, and is always respectful and mature. This motivates the Department to seek out more CATEC students to hire for internships. CATEC is excited to see Houchens in a successful internship and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Albemarle County Public Schools’ Building Services Department.