Lehighton Area High School teachers Bernard Shea and Kevin Bond are doing their part by teaching the students skills in the wood and metal labs in the high school.

"It's a great, great feeling to know we have the full support of the administration here in the district," said Shea, who has 13 years of experience as a teacher.The district has been instrumental in helping the school in keeping their machinery up-to-date with industry standards.Wood shopShae Blasiak, a junior at Lehighton, has had the opportunity to experience this firsthand in the wood shop."We get to do projects we want and we get to work together as a team," Blasiak said.Blasiak is working with a group of students to make large-scale Jenga blocks for the elementary, middle and high schools.The wood shop class allows students to make products that are useful for personal use, as well. The students have worked on making coffee tables, end tables, coasters, candle holders, baseball bats and many other pieces where they can see their hard work put to practical use."I'm more of a visual learner than writing something down on a piece of paper," said Shawn Cope, a sophomore.Cope was working on a candlestick holder. He was using a wood lathe with lathe chisels to turn his project round.Senior Kasey Davis took the class at the recommendation from her mom."My mom took it originally and she said it might be fun. I actually liked it and I build a lot of amazing things in there," she said.Davis' favorite part of working in the wood shop is learning to use the machines. There are a lot more opportunities in construction, Davis said.While putting her finishing touches on her end table, Bond showed her how to use a nail set to drive her finish nails below the surface before applying wood filler and sanding.Students are given a lot of creative freedom in the class to make products that will be useful for them in their personal lives. Many students opt to make furniture such as coffee tables or stools and others create objects for practical use such as candlestick holders or coasters.Overall, the class is giving these students real life skills and experience that will lead them into healthy hobbies and perhaps careers in the future.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for carpenters is expected to grow 6 percent between 2014 and 2024. This is an average growth rate. A carpenter in 2015 made $20.24 per hour and $42,090 per year. Typically, a carpenter will only need a high school diploma. Pennsylvania is in the top five states for employment in carpentry.Stereotypes of carpenters point to the idea that they are more "brawn than brain." Spend a day in a carpenter's shoes and you'll dispute this fact. Carpenters are responsible for knowing basic math for measurements up to trigonometry for cutting correct angles.Metal ShopStudents are not only learning carpentry at Lehighton Area High School, but also find the metal shop is a great place to work with their hands.Students are given the opportunity to create items that are useful to them outside of school.Metal shop two gives students more creative freedom to work with as they complete their semester projects."They can select a project of their choosing and they have to hit certain metalworking areas," Shea said.Some of the metalworking areas include welding, casting, forging, machining and sheet metal. Students must choose three of the areas and apply it to their project."I decided to take this class because it helps me improve my skill in the construction field," said Christian Bachman, a junior. He is looking to pursue a career in welding or carpentry. "I like working my hands. (There is) more opportunity with trade jobs because you spend maybe five years in college, or six years, and some people don't find jobs.""I just love the hands-on work, it's a lot of fun," said Aaron Smith, a junior in metal shop two. "I get to make stuff that I enjoy making. Originally, I took (the class) because one of my friends was taking it, but I fell in love with the work so I decided I wanted to take all of the classes before I graduate."Daniel Thomas, a sophomore, is currently in metal shop two. "You can actually walk home with a product that you made and it's real work. You're not just sitting in a class studying and reading," he said."What's great about our program is it gives our students a steppingstone to see what else is out there instead of having to commit to 'I want to be a welder or a machinist,' " said Shea. "They get to experiment here in the high school and get to decide what is right for them, whether they move on to CCTI, a two-year trade school or a four-year institution."Students who learn the skills of working with metal are looking at a bright future ahead of them as the growth rate for sheet metal workers is at a steady rate of 7 percent between 2014 and 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Most work for sheet metal workers is full time and requires a minimum education of a high school diploma or equivalent.In 2015, sheet metal workers earned an average of $21.99 per hour and $45,750 per year. In Pennsylvania, the median wage per year is $54,720."I think it's important that we give our students the opportunity to see those things, especially here in the high school," said Shea. "It shows them what the trades are all about."Students find a great satisfaction from creating a physical object they can look at and see their hard work put to use."I think it gives our students a hands-on skill, the ability to create a physical thing whether it's home repair, auto repair. Right now the trades are gaining a lot of ground as far as the job market," said Shea.