Twin Rivers students get hands-on experience

Contributed photo LEARNING: Bloomfield junior Andrew Emminger follows proper safety procedures while using a router.

Twin Rivers Careers and Technical Education Area offers juniors and seniors in area high schools opportunities to learn in more detail about different types of careers.

Students from Bloomfield, Linton-Stockton, Shakamak, and White River Valley high schools in Greene County and from Union, North Central, and Sullivan high schools in Sullivan County may enroll in a Twin Rivers class. Twin Rivers students spend half of their school day at the home high school and the other half of the day at their Twin Rivers program.

The programs give students hands-on experience, as well as classroom instruction. Different types of careers available in each area are reviewed, and proper safety practices on the job site are emphasized daily.

Automotive Service Technology students learn to take brakes apart, then repair and reassemble. They may also overhaul an engine. Other areas studied include electrical systems, steering and suspension, and understanding repair manuals.

Building Trades students build a project house from the foundation up, including framing, roofing, insulation, installing doors and windows, and hanging drywall. They will also learn about wiring, heating systems, and plumbing. Students also often put siding on the exterior of the house.

Health Careers students spend the first semester in the classroom. There they learn to take vital signs and the proper way to chart this information. They learn to use proper body mechanics when moving a patient. Patient privacy, medical terminology, and the various systems of the human body are also studied.

During second semester, the students spend three days each week job shadowing in a healthcare setting.