JASPER, Tenn. — Michael “Seth” Davis said he didn’t have any specific career plans when he was at Whitwell High School, but when he heard about a welding apprenticeship program offered at the Valmont plant in Jasper, he decided to apply.
Davis was one of the first high school students in Tennessee to be enrolled in the pre-apprentice welding program when Chattanooga State Community College and Marion County public schools started the program at Valmont in 2019.
“It was a new program that sounded interesting, so I tried it out and found out I really enjoyed it,” Davis said.
During the past four years, Davis hasn’t missed a day of work while studying and becoming a certified welding fitter at Valmont. Last year, the 22-year-old welder earned nearly $80,000 doing fitted welding at Valmont, he said.
“It’s a great program that teaches you the skills you need to have a good-paying job,” Davis said in an interview at the plant.