JCPS high school students turn to trade jobs, skip college for work after graduation

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Many high school students are skipping college and entering the workforce right after graduation. And taking the ACT can help, even if they're going to a trade school.

Summer Wendllowski discovered a passion for welding her sophomore year at Pleasure Ridge Park High School. Now, she's in her senior year and can't wait to get to work after she graduates.

"I already have a (welding) job," Wendllowski said. "It's a very beautiful way to just put stuff together."

Wendllowski's welding teacher, David McCoy, started the annual Future Woman of Welding Competition. It's the third year for this event in which nearly 90 high school girls from Kentucky and southern Indiana compete for top honors and to network with potential employers.

"I would like to go straight out of school and go work somewhere," Savanna Merrifield, a junior at Jeffersontown High School, said Thursday.

McCoy said he had 20 welding students last year, and they all went into the workforce upon graduating. One of them was Danielle Roberts.

Future Women of Welding competition — David McCoy, started the annual Future Woman of Welding Competition at Pleasure Ridge Park High School. Jan. 23, 2025. *(WDRB Photo)*
WDRB Photo

"It was very easy for me to catch up," Roberts said. "I got an apartment. I got a brand new car."

Some in Generation Z said they feel it's a better personal financial decision to avoid the student loan debt. Others believe it's possible to get a well-paying trade job with only a high school diploma.

"I'm not stressing about what I'm going to do or where my income will come from," Wendllowski said.

JCPS's high school reading and math scores have slightly declined since 2021. Though college isn't for everyone, some students use these pathways as a chance to learn new skills before they ultimately pursue a higher education.

"It's giving me the knowledge necessary for the career," Oswaldo Garcia, a senior at Fern Creek High School, said while touring a factory. "One of the people who we talked to was co-oping, so that made me curious if I could do something similar."

Cooperative education programs allow students to alternate between academic study and full-time employment. These programs are available at a variety of trade schools and colleges.

"We understand the importance of our scholars who are not going to go undergo like the traditional route of a two year or four year institution," said Sylvia Barnes with Peer Power. "But, you also want to be able to read your contract. You also want to be able to manage your money."

Taking the ACT can help students get into colleges and some trade schools. So Peer Power, a Memphis nonprofit, plans to visit Pleasure Ridge Park High School on Jan. 25 for a free ACT prep boot camp. It's from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

"Sometimes, trade schools come with scholarships as well as stipends and things like that," Barnes said. "That could be contingent upon an ACT score."

The event is free, but the organization said it's valued at $275 per student and is highly effective. There will be gift card giveaways and a free lunch for every student in attendance.

So far, more than 40 students have signed up. Registration is required, which can be done here. Any questions or concerns can be directed to Marlon Miller at marlon.miller@jefferson.kyschools.us.

The goal is to set JCPS students up for success, no matter where the next chapter takes them.

"I don't think you should have to choose one thing or the other," Roberts said. "You should have options for what you do in life."

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