Students in DeSoto Parish are filling two needs with one deed through Louisiana’s Jump Start Program.

One hundred percent of seniors at Stanley High School are earning industry-based credentials before they graduate.

“Knowing that I can learn more and achieve more after I graduate,” said Rayven Blunt, a senior at Stanley who has already received more than 20 credentials through the program.

Blunt says he’ll be the first student to receive Level 2 welding certification in the entire district.

“Most of the skills that we’re focusing on with Jump Start and career tech courses, it’s beneficial to go that they get that extra education. But we’re trying to provide them with skills for a high wage, high growth high demand jobs,” said Josh Dahlem, DeSoto Parish School District’s college and career readiness coordinator.

Dahlem says one of their welding students who earned industry-based credentials in welding Level 1 spent one year at Louisiana Technical College in Mansfield after graduating high school and is currently making a salary of $62,000. On top of that, no college debt.

“In DeSoto Parish, we believe that every student is a career student. It doesn’t matter if they’re a Jump Start or a traditional university student, we want all of our students to have the opportunity to earn those industry based credentials so that when they graduate they can work,” added Dahlem.

That also applies to Jared Lum. The senior is taking emergency medical response credentials during school and volunteers at DeSoto Parish Fire District No. 5.

“The fire department is something I’ve been looking at for a long time. Since I was a little kid I always looked forward to growing up and being a fireman,” Lum said.

Lum wants to work for the Shreveport Fire Department and his experience in EMR has given him a leg up.

“If you want to pursue the fire department, you’re going to have to take the courses eventually, it’s good to go ahead and get them now,” added Lum.”I wouldn’t be able to take them other than in school because I’m so busy and classes are usually during the day.”

https://www.ktbs.com/news/arklatex-indepth/stanley-high-seniors-get-jump-on-careers-after-school/article_f39f098a-3f95-11e9-bf12-234da9bdf6cd.html