MOUNT VERNON – The Knox County Career Center Building Trades program recognized four students who earned the status of Building Trades Elite.
Building Trades Elite (BT Elite) is a program generated by Colby Clippinger, KCCC Building Trades instructor, and the KCCC Building Trades Advisory Council, which began in 2019-2020. The program’s criteria center around attendance, discipline, industry credentialing and extracurricular activities. Students earn points for attendance, grades, industry credentialing and extracurricular activities. Students can lose points for being tardy or absent and for discipline issues. In order to earn BT Elite status, students must earn 250 points and must maintain 250 points or higher until graduation.
The program is completely company-sponsored, according to Clippinger.
Students who earn BT Elite status are awarded a hoodie and an interview shirt. The companies pay for the hoodies and interview shirts. The hoodie has the Building Trades Elite Crest on the back along with the company sponsors. The student’s name and BT Elite are on the front of the hoodie. The interview shirt has BT Elite and the student’s name on the front.
Clippinger said, “We appreciate the companies who have partnered with us on the BT Elite program. The BT Elite program creates a well-rounded and ready-to-hire student.”
Seniors Dylan Kern, Jacob Stichert, Weston Ross and Bradin Palm earned BT Elite status last week and received their hoodies and interview shirts. Eighteen students from the Building Trades program have now earned BT Elite status since its inception.
“These students have obtained another level. The program has done what it was supposed to do and creates recognizable students that are ready to go into the trades,” Clippinger said.
KCCC and the Building Trades program would like to thank the companies who sponsor BT Elite: J & B Acoustical, Ohio Contractors Association, ProTech Basement Solutions, LiUNA! Local 1216, Kokosing, Corna Kokosing, Brennstuhl Construction, Modern Builders, Gray Mechanical, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local 735, and Rietschlin Construction.
