JOB CORPS Students in the hard trades at Muhlenberg Job Corps recently got plenty hands-on experience when they manufactured, delivered and installed playground equipment at the Rochester Park in Butler County. Students completed and installed the new equipment in September. Over the course of the month-long project, more than 30 students worked on different phases, including fabrication, transportation and installation.
The playground project was spearheaded and supervised by Welding Instructor Marty Wabnitz and Career Technical Training Manager Nick Toomey.
Welding students made the new equipment, CDL students transported the equipment to Rochester Park and Heavy Equipment Operator students assisted in the assembly and installation of the playground equipment.
Toomey believes that it is important for students to get real-world experience by working on teams to manufacture, deliver and install the playground equipment.
Students feel a sense of pride when they see the completion of a community project they participated in, Toomey said.
As a bonus, students learned important economic and environmental lessons by using reclaimed scrap metal from other projects for the swing sets and seesaw.
This playground equipment project truly was a win-win situation for both students at Muhlenberg Job Corps and the City of Rochester. Students got invaluable hands-on work experience and the satisfaction of helping others; Rochester got new equipment to make a more viable park for younger children in the area.
Students, left to right, Caleb Freeman, Heavy Equipment Operator; Jacob Skink, HEO, Christian Cupp, Welding; Kevin Hankinson, Welding; and Nehemiah Morgan, HEO, install a seesaw at Rochester Park. To complete this project, students dug post holes, ensured equipment was level and poured concrete to maintain the stability of the playground equipment.