POINT PLEASANT — Inside the doors at the Mason County Career Center, you will find high school students, recent graduates and a few displaced workers who have gone back to school to obtain a degree.

With the vocational and technical center adding more programs to its growing list, it’s no wonder why several members of the community are hitting the books once more to get the edge in the demanding industry field. High school students have also become apart of the dual-credit program where they can complete high school and take college courses at the same time.

This is all made possible due to the joint partnership between the Mason County Career Center (MCCC), Marshall University, and Marshall Community and Technical College (MCTC).

Ruth Caplinger, Principal of the MCCC, explained how she, along with Doctor Steve Brown, Homer Preece, and Karen Facemeyer of the Polmer Alliance Zone, worked and met with business and industry professionals to develop the curriculum.

Much of the curriculum discussed was for the new Industrial Maintenance Program that started in the spring.

Jesse Voiers, instructor for several of the core classes, is in his first year at the career center and has 13 students this semester. Of those students, several have previously graduated and all three county schools are represented within his classroom.

“I highly urge high school students to take advantage of programs like these while in school,” Voiers said. “The main thing to remember, and the one thing that I implore, is that the industry has to have maintenance.”

Ezra Zuspan, Brandon Flowers, and Kyle Roush, are all 2009 graduates of Wahama High School who took vocational classes while in high school. They all three came back to take advantage of the new program for various reasons, but with one objective in mind, to graduate and get a good job.

“I think it is going to be a good program and I plan to work in a plant, perhaps AEP, once I graduate,” Roush, from Letart, said. Both Flowers and Zuspan agreed that they too would like to work for AEP upon graduation.

The 13-year students are also enrolled in general education classes through MCTC. During the day, they attend the career center for their program classes and at night, they focus on math, communications, and an introductory to college class, College 101.

Since classes just began, Voiers first priority is teaching his students about safety.

“Safety is number one in anything,” Voiers said. The first few weeks, he will lecture on safety and later use textbooks to educate the group of young men about industrial mechanics and industrial maintenance.

Voiers isn’t the only instructor for the Industrial Maintenance Program. While his focus is more geared toward the industrial aspect, the students enrolled will also have courses in Fundamentals of Industrial Maintenance, Hydraulics Maintenance and Electrical Maintenance, as well as programmed-geared math and reading classes.

A minimum of 60 hours is required to graduate with an Associate in Applied Science in Technical Studies: Mechanical Maintenance Option. This can usually be accomplished in two years, or faster, depending on if how many classes were taken during high school.

“Different corporations require maintenance to do different tasks, but this program offered at the MCCC gives a broad overview,” Voiers said.

Caplinger would like to inform the community that a few openings are left in the Industrial Maintenance Program, as well as others, including Chinese.

“Adult daytime students will only pay college rates and this is on a first come first serve basis,” Caplinger said. She also added that high school students do get first pick and only a select number of students can be accepted due to safety precautions.

The MCTC is currently offering night classes for degrees in any area.

“This saves a trip to Huntington if you are just looking to get an Associate’s Degree,” Caplinger stated. “The MCCC is becoming the future for students of all ages and with our continued support and wonderful partnerships, we are offering a lot to this area that I hope more people take advantage of.”