Valley Career and Technical Center celebrates apprenticeships for four students

FISHERSVILLE — Chase Fretwell isn't afraid of hard work. Since before he was a teenager, the Stuarts Draft High School senior has been working odd jobs — mowing grass, clearing brush, splitting firewood, baling hay.

"When he was 14, he came home and handed me $500 of his own money for truck parts," said his mom, Amanda Fretwell. "So he's got that work ethic."

On Monday afternoon, Fretwell was one of four Valley Career and Technical Center (VCTC) students who signed an apprenticeship agreement with local employers. Still in high school, Fretwell has a job lined up with Lawrence Equipment working on heavy equipment.

"Both my grandparents and my dad and uncles on both sides of the family have always been in mechanics," he said. "I just wanted to learn something new. I didn't know a lot about diesel engines. Both my uncle and my grandpa drove diesels growing up and I've always been fascinated by them, so I was like, well, might as well try to make a career out of it."

The other students signing apprenticeship agreements through the Virginia Registered Apprenticeship program Monday were Wyatt Hanger (Riverheads) with George Owens Construction, Tyler Holenstein (Buffalo Gap) with Blauch Brothers and Andrew Blackard (Riverheads) with E & E Plumbing & Heating.

VCTC is one of nine regional centers in Virginia providing technical education and career preparation for both high school students and adults. The school serves students in the Augusta County, Staunton, and Waynesboro school divisions.

The apprenticeship program allows students an opportunity to get on-the-job training and technical instruction while preparing for a career.

Jake Gray, VCTC's work-based learning coordinator, said that students not only work with their employer but typically take more classes through the Fishersville school. He said the apprenticeship normally lasts four years with about 8,000 hours on the job and 576 classroom hours.

Lee Ann Whitesell is the director for the Shenandoah Valley Center for Advanced Learning, home to VCTC. She said the apprenticeship program helps alleviate stress for many students who otherwise might worry about what will happen after high school.

"I think it helps them go ahead and move forward productively," Whitesell said. "They probably have a greater earning potential, but I think it's nice for students to know that they have a goal and they can just get ready and go out and do it and start to make their way in the world."

In addition to the apprenticeship event, VCTC held an open house throughout the day Monday, giving the community an opportunity to see what the school has to offer. Whitesell said students have 22 programs available from which to choose, ranging from construction trades to the medical field to culinary arts.

"There's a broad, broad range of programs available for students for them to both explore and extend their skills," Whitesell said. "And even if it's something they decide not to go into later, they've gained a very large skill set that can be applicable to other trades and jobs or careers that they may want to do."

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Joe Wilkins teaches the culinary program.

"A lot of different aspects of culinary from the management side of it to the finance side of it, but also cooking, recipe work and everything like that," Wilkins said. "We spend a good amount of time in the classroom, but also a lot of time in the kitchen, working on various different projects."

Derek Ocheltree is in his second year as an HVAC instructor at the school. One of his students, Tyler Holenstein, was among those at the apprenticeship event Monday.

"Tyler will succeed no matter what he does," Ocheltree said. "But he loves doing this. He did this this summer. He went to Blauch Brothers over the summer and loved it."

Ocheltree teaches a two-year course that is about 720 total hours, he said. He wants those students to understand there are opportunities for them to find jobs right out of school.

"You can earn money and get this education and potentially make more money than somebody with a college degree," Oceltree said.

Nick Collins, a member of the Augusta County School Board, was on hand for the event Monday.

"It's such a great opportunity for them," Collins said. "To walk right into a field that needs some technical, good young people. They're ready to to walk into the workplace and perform really needed duties."

Amanda Fretwell is excited to see what the future holds for her son. She said Chase's hard work and the training at VCTC are to thank for that opportunity.

"He's set himself up for a while and he's just going to reach for his dreams and keep going," she said. "I can't wait to see what he does."

Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Valley Career and Technical Center celebrates students' apprenticeships