Caleb Powell has developed quite the reputation for himself during his first few months on the job at S&S Welding in Petoskey.
“He’s never been late, not one time,” said S&S owner Shawn Wonnacott.
With a changing labor force and an extremely high demand for skilled trades workers – in welding and every other vocational trade – so-called “soft skills” like promptness, having a good attitude, and being open to learning new skills are intangibles that make all the difference for employers like Wonnacott.
Powell brings those character traits with him to the shop each day, as well as foundational knowledge of welding from his two years spent in the welding class at Pellston High School. He graduated in June from Concord Academy in Petoskey, and was able to take the welding class thanks to an agreement the charter school reached with the district and other surrounding schools.
Caleb said the opportunity opened up a post-high school career path for him, and he’s grateful. “I found that I really enjoyed welding and I began thinking about it as a career option after graduation,” said Powell.
Powell was recently celebrated by Char-Em ISD with a “Career Tech to Careers” signing event at S&S Welding. Career Tech to Careers events were established by Char-Em’s Career and Technical Education Department to recognize high school students who pursue careers after graduation based in part on their enrollment in career tech classes in high school.
During high school, Powell took the welding program in his junior and seniors years. In addition, in January 2024 he began participating in the co-op, or “work-based learning,” program that has been reignited by Char-Em ISD career and technical education staff, along with Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG) specialists from Northwest Michigan Works.
Co-op allows students to work in career fields of interest with local employers for part of the school day, earning wages and credits toward graduation and honing work skills for after graduation. Powell started working Monday through Thursday at S&S, and became a full-time welder/fabricator upon graduation.
He works approx. 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily, learning the ins and outs of the welding trade on various projects, such as a large ornamental wrought iron fence currently under construction for a homeowner in Harbor Springs. He recently worked to repair a flat-bottom boat which had numerous cracks and holes as well – a job that required him to lie underneath the vessel for hours at a time, welding the cracks to seal them shut.
“My neck was a little sore after that,” he laughed. “That was not an easy weld.”
Wonnacott said Powell is the second student to come directly from a welding program to work for him, while several more of his employees took at least one career tech program during their high school careers. He praised the efforts to continue to bolster career and technical education throughout Char-Em ISD.
“They come out of the programs with basic skills and good foundational knowledge to build upon,” said Wonnacott. “They know enough to get in the door at entry level. Caleb, like the others, had to pass an initial welding test to get hired, and he passed it and did very well.”
Wonnacott met Powell during a visit this past school year to the Pellston welding class where he shared job opportunities with the students.
“Caleb has a great attitude, and he always comes to work with an open mind and a willingness to learn,” said Wonnacott. “His work ethic is second to none.”
Powell said he knew that college was not the path he wanted to take upon graduation, as he is more inclined toward hands-on work. “I would encourage any student to take career tech classes in high school. The trades need the workers,” he said. “And also, they’re really fun classes to take.”
Photo caption:
Pictured are (from left) Karen Powell; Kali McNamara, Concord Academy Petoskey Administrator; Caleb Powell; Jim Rummer, Director of Career and Technical Education for Char-Em ISD; Shawn Wonnacott, owner of S&S Welding; Marc Svatora, JMG Specialist; and Tory Thrush, Career/College Readiness Consultant for Char-Em ISD.