CCTI hosts 1st Signing Day

In a celebration of student success and the cooperative education program, Carbon Career and Technical Institute hosted its first signing day on Wednesday.

At the ceremony, 22 graduating students signed letters of intent to continue working for their current co-op education employer following graduation.

A crowd of parents, business owners and instructors sat in on the event, providing some much-needed attention to the world of technical education.

“Signing Day activities are typically reserved for student-athletes, but we feel this is an excellent occasion to recognize our students’ dedication to their chosen careers, to promote career and technical education, and to honor our staff and employers,” administrative director David Reinbold said.

The celebration was part of the school’s annual Cooperative Education Employer Appreciation Breakfast, which recognizes employers for hiring and mentoring students. Representatives from companies including Blue Mountain Machine, Hayden Electric, Wentz Auto Body and R.F. Ohl Fuel attended the function.

“I am very appreciative for the opportunities our cooperative education employers give our students to further develop their technical skills. The time and effort these employers invest in our students show they are true mentors and embody the spirit of cooperative education partnerships,” CCTI cooperative education coordinator Stephanie Barto said.

Steve Ohl of R.F. Ohl Fuel said that the signing day helped illustrate the value of the students’ involvement in the cooperative education program.

“It’s a great program, and for anybody invested in the technical trades, it’s great for future opportunities,” Ohl said.

Ohl said that he has built a strong relationship with CCTI thanks to the co-op program, which ensures a great education with real-world experience that students can utilize.

“Right now, we have three students working here this year, and we’ve had others in the past that work here with us full time,” he said.

HVAC student Justin Mahmde took part in the signing day, pledging to continue his employment with R.F. Ohl following graduation.

Mahmde said he appreciated the signing ceremony, as it offered recognition for students who take a less traditional path.

“It felt nice being the first class to do it. I felt honored. It’s something different, you don’t really see technical schools doing it,” he said.

And not only does it provide some praise to a group of students who successfully completed the program, it can serve as a method of motivation for future co-op students.

“It gives them the enthusiasm to do better in school and give it their best effort so they can go into co-op, make money while they’re in school, and learn in the field,” Mahmde said.

Reinbold said that the event was an overwhelming success, and the school plans to hold an even larger signing day activities in the future.