Construction program will pay students while they’re in school

SOUTH POINT, Ohio (WSAZ) -- “Signing day” has often been associated to high school students signing to play ball at a college.

But, the definition is a little different for certain members of the class of 2022 at South Point High School.

Four of the 99 graduating seniors are getting an opportunity that’ll get them a little bit ahead of the game as they’re set to graduate this Sunday.

It all started when Mountwest Community and Technical College approached South Point High School about the creation of a utility construction program.

“CJ Hughes really encountered a problem where they struggling to find workers to fill readily available jobs,” said South Point High School Counselor Megan Lemon.

It gets people trained and paid at the same time.

Students in the inaugural program will be making $16 an hour.

“Instead of going to school for four years and having a bunch of debt, I’m going to be making money right off the bat, so it means a lot to me,” said Jacob Morrison, a senior at South Point High School, who along with Zach Nance, Cody Berkley, and Ethan Thompson, is part of the Utility Construction Program.

“He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do, but then he started working at Lowe’s and started getting into some construction side work and what not, so this is perfect for him,” said Gina Montroso, Jacob’s mother. “A four-year college degree is not for everyone. My daughter just graduated from Marshall with a bachelor’s degree, and every kid is different, and I just think it’s important to give them a lot of options.”

The inaugural program has 20 spots with eight of those still available.

Tap here to learn more about Mountwest’s Utility Construction Program.

Students are set to begin the 11-month program in August.

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