On July 24, 2019, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Noodin Craven, a 2019 graduate of Pellston High School. Craven has started a career with MacGregor Plumbing and Heating as an apprentice installer. He was able to land the job – which is full-time and will include a full menu of traditional benefits after 90 days – due in part to the Career and Technical Education classes he took during high school, specifically welding and construction.

At MacGregor Plumbing and Heating, Craven is learning and applying those skills hands-on in diagnosing and repairing plumbing, heating and cooling issues for residential and commercial customers. Owner of the company, Julie Wieman, praised Craven’s attitude and work ethic and said it’s uncommon to find such a hardworking person right out of high school. “He is doing such a great job for us,” said Wieman. “Schools really need to keep doing more to teach kids these kinds of skills and encourage them to think outside of a traditional four-year college degree. We feel we can give these young adults the positive role models they need to be successful. Noodin is great, he has a phenomenal attitude – we can always train the right person in the skills they need when they have the right, positive attitude.”

Craven’s enthusiasm for taking the position and running with it is infectious. Set up on a job shadow experience by Annie Hansen, Char-Em ISD job coach, his interested was sparked immediately. “I really had no plan of what I wanted to do with my future by my senior year,” he said. “My dad was telling me that I really needed to find a direction, and I knew college was not for me. I couldn’t see myself going to school again after graduating from high school. During my senior year, I got into the welding class and construction, and it clicked – it was like a whole new world.”

Craven said with his interest now piqued, and with the help of Hansen, the connection to MacGregor Plumbing and Heating arrived at the perfect moment. “When Annie got me the interview, I was super excited,” he said. “From there, things just came together.”

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