Welding Blitz at Francis Tuttle Technology Center helping Oklahomans learn hands-on skills

From cake decorating to welding, Francis Tuttle Technology Center is expanding opportunities for Oklahomans to gain hands-on skills that can change their lives.

News 9's Addie Crawford caught up with Charles McPhearson Jr., Program Developer at the Francis Tuttle Reno Campus, to talk about the growing demand for trade education, their welding blitz event, and how the school is making training more accessible.

In this Q&A, McPhearson shares how Francis Tuttle is preparing students for lasting careers.

Q: Can you tell us about the Welding Blitz?

McPhearson: "What this does is give people a chance. If they've even thought about looking at welding as a career, a hobby, or even an art form. This is a great way of doing it. This also goes along with our welding full time program, which I think you mentioned earlier. We are doubling the capacity for our welders here at Francis Tuttle. But that's only one of the many things that we offer here at Francis Tuttle for the person in the career industries."

Q: How is Francis Tuttle responding to the increased demand for welding education?

McPhearson: "What Francis Tuttle is trying to do at this point in time is we want to get rid of our waiting list. We don't think anybody who wants to learn to trade should miss out on it. So we're doing everything we can to expand as fast as we can to take care of the needs that we've got in the Oklahoma City communities."

Q: How important do you think it is to learn a trade?

McPhearson: "I tell you what, a trade for a person, it can change your family tree. My father is a good example of that. He was born out of Fort Cobb, Oklahoma, to dirt farmers. He retired from American Airlines because of a trade that he learned and changed. He went to Tech in Fort Cobb. My son went to Audrey Tech, and I went to Tulsa Tech. So all three of us, three generations, know what trades can do for you."

Q: What other opportunities are available at Francis Tuttle?

McPhearson: "Here at Francis Tuttle, we can handle all the trades, HVC, VAC, and electrical. If you want to get into data analytics, we've got data analytics. If you want to sit behind a keyboard, if you want to be a chef, we can take care of you there. But another good thing about the workforce and economic development does, not only do we teach the trades, because when businesses come to Oklahoma, they're looking for skilled workers, but they're also looking for lifestyle. If you want to learn fly fishing, we're going to have a fly fishing class this summer. If you want to learn culinary, we're going to have culinary for you. So we cover all the aspects for you. Cake decorating, it's numerous. If someone's got an idea that we don't offer, we'll get it on the schedule for them."

Q: How does one get involved with these classes?

McPhearson: "Well, on the full-time program, you go through an application process. Because what we do first is that high school students are first. They get the first available seat. But now for our evening program and our web ones, all you do is they basically pay for a seat in that class, and you're in it. We'll take someone with zero experience and turn them into someone with skills and abilities to change their family tree to make a living and make an excellent living in the Oklahoma City area."

More information about the Francis Tuttle Technology Center's welding program may be found on the institution's official website.