Students find their futures in vocational school

NORWALK — It became clear when he was just 2 years old that Chris Marrero would become a mechanic.

His father found him in the garage with every single one of his tools, trying to get the training wheels off his bike. And to his father’s surprise, the the boy figured how do it by himself, and rode the cul-de-sac on two wheels.

“And here I am today,” Marrero said, sitting inside J.M. Wright Technical High School in Stamford on a recent morning. “I love what I do. I love working on cars.”

Marrero, who lives in Norwalk, is a senior at the technical school, where he studies automotive technology and has earned more certifications than some of the professionals he’s worked with at car dealerships and motorsports shops.

While many high-schoolers decide to go to a traditional college, university, Marrero knew early on he wanted to learn a trade. In the fall, he’s headed to University of Northwestern Ohio to study diesel and high performance, and automotive business and administration.

He hopes to fix cars for a living and to eventually start his own business — just as his father started his own electrical business after he went to trade school.

Always a need

Though Marrero’s father has closed the business and now works for the Bridgeport Fire Department, he still keeps himself busy with electrical projects on the side.

“You always find something to fall back on, no matter what happens,” Marrero said. “People always need their cars fixed. People always need nurses. You’re always going to need electricians. You’re always going to need plumbers.

“You’re always going to have skills that no one can take away from you,” he added.

Phyllis Bartoli, principal of J.M. Wright Technical, said the need for trade school workers is booming in Fairfield County. Statewide, trade school jobs — such as electricians, barbers, plumbers, roofers and cooks — are among the fastest growing occupations, according to data from the state Department of Labor.

J.M. Wright Technical trains students in 10 trades and is connected to local associations in related industries, including the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Connecticut.

“In those construction trades, they need our kids to continue to make Fairfield County successful and to continue to help it grow,” Bartoli said.

Learning in Bridgeport

Bullard Havens Technical High School educates 810 students — from host city Bridgeport, Fairfield, Shelton, Stratford and Trumbull — in a dozen trades, from automotive technology and carpentry to masonry, graphics and culinary arts.

Also in Bridgeport, there is an Advanced Manufacturing Center at Housatonic Community College, that offers certificates and associate degrees in machine technology.

There are also 28 “dual enrollment” high school students in Bridgeport – 18 from Bassick and 10 from Kolbe Cathedral – who attend HCC on a part-time basis.

The only prerequisites, according to Joseph Duhaime, director of the center, are a High School Diploma or GED, or passing scores on math and English entrance exams.

Connecticut has about 4,755 manufacturers who employ more than 162,000 people.

“Students can expect to earn $35,000 to $40,000 per year to start, including overtime” in those jobs, Duhaime said.

More students at Norwalk High School are looking to trade school for their higher education plans, according to Daniel Sullivan, chairman of the school’s guidance program. The school and district have initiated different ways to support those who aren’t pursuing a four-year college degree.

Earlier in the school year, students at Norwalk High learned about different postsecondary options during college week: four-year colleges, two-year colleges, trade schools and military options. More of these career pathways will be embedded in the district’s upcoming high school curriculum redesign, Sullivan said.

“With the cost of college, I think it forced people to be better consumers and look at options more holistically and not just do what’s socially expected of you,” Sullivan said.

Career fast track

Senior Nicolas Monteleone agrees, and believes there’s a stereotype about trade school being a last resort. But to him, going to trade school is a quicker track to his career destination.

Both of his parents graduated from Wright Technical School and are supportive of him attending vocational school.

He was accepted into New England Institute of Technology and will study civil engineering in the fall.

“You sort of just go right into the craft and get to work on it,” Monteleone said. “That’s why I thought of trade school as a cool option.”

Similarly, senior Janessa Martinez is applying to a hairdressing academy in Newtown after hearing about it from a co-worker at the hair salon where she works.

At first, Martinez said her parents weren’t fond of this idea, and are both graduates of technical high school. But their minds changed once they saw how determined she was to become a hairdresser.

“With college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. But with trade school, I know exactly what I want,” Martinez said. “I learn better hands-on, not from somebody teaching from the white board. So if you’re that type of person who needs to see something get done to learn, trade school would be a better option for you, too.”

Staff writer Linda Conner Lambeck contributed to this report.