In 2021 there were over 480,000 industrial maintenance jobs in the U.S. in need of people willing to work. The majority of these jobs did not require any work experience, but they did require a high school diploma or equivalent. To help with the needs of workers, West has been providing Industrial Maintenance courses for years. This year West was lucky enough to recruit Mr. Davin Hatfield, a former employee at IJERTRIC here in Morristown.
Hatfield was a former employee at IJERTIC before joining the Trojan army. “I worked as a document coordinator. I was the person that controlled safety, quality. and the department documents of all maintenance productions.” Hatfield stated. Hatfields reason for leaving was his passion for helping others. Hatfield says, “I felt like I didn't want to be at a job that I'm miserable at having a heart attack myself later down the road, so I started looking for what makes me feel fulfilled. Long story short, I wanted to pour my life into others hoping to help them feel that fulfillment.”
When it comes to curriculum, safety is the top priority, so much so, that students can get their OSHA10 certification. OSHA 10 is a 10-hour course that helps prevent injuries and protects the health of workers in America. While this certification will have to be refreshed, students having these now helps them further their industrial maintenance careers. Not only does this course focus on safety but it also teaches valuable skills such as reading blueprints, coding & circuitry, measuring, creating resumes, etc. This course prepares students for the other industrial maintenance courses at West. “This class has taught me to never procrastinate,” freshman student Nathan Strumski stated.
Hatfield is not only teaching these students what the state wants but is also trying to teach them a path they will be happy with in life, “My ultimate goal is everyone loves what they do. I hope everyone comes into this class and loves manufacturing more by the time they leave… But I'd rather them figure out now they hate it then to put all their time and energy into something they do not care for.” Currently Hatfield has roughly 60 students, one of them being a female He hopes more females will join the class in the future. Hatfield believes anyone can do a job if they give it their best effort. “The best part of Hatfields class is his good and positive attitude.” Junior Jake Perry said.
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