Ritenour Program Combines Support From Unions & Green Energy
Date Posted: February 18, 2025
Posted In: News, Workforce,
From First Alert 4: Trade careers aren’t always what people think of when they hear about high school education, but that’s exactly what Ritenour School District is hoping to provide through a new program supported by green energy companies and local unions.
“This is a lot of exploration, cause I don’t know exactly what I want to do in construction yet. But this is a way to figure out what I wanna do,” Dante Jessmon, a freshman, told First Alert 4.
Ameresco, a clean-tech organization working in green energy, has been helping Ritenour set up the program. The Path to Trades (P2T) program is a two-year work-based program for high school students . The company helped develop the program, sponsors it and helps mentor those enrolled.
“My dad, he did carpentry. My mom went to South Tech for business trades,” one student said. “So I just wanted to see what the big hype was about construction.”
Ritenour officials tell First Alert 4 they wanted a Paths to Trades program to help support all students in the district, especially those interested in non-degree careers and those looking to stay out of debt for education. Freshmen can enter the program, giving them a very early entry into the field. Students have to meet grade and other interest requirements.
“We have kids who are passionate about construction and we’re blowing their minds because we’re like there’s so much more involved in construction than what you think,” one educator tied to the program says.