Waukon High School student earns his Advanced Manufacturing Certificate through Northeast Iowa Community College

Lukas Larson grew up watching his grandfather and father use a welder to make repairs on farm machinery and semi-trucks and always enjoyed using his hands to build and fix things. As a student at Waukon High School, Larson decided to get a head start and put those skills to the test.

He completed a career pathway certificate from Northeast Iowa Community College’s (NICC) Welding program, and is now qualified for employment in advanced manufacturing. He accomplished all of this during his junior year.
In 2016, Larson enrolled in the Northeast Iowa Career Learning Link program, which assists high school juniors and seniors in northeast Iowa in the development of career goals.

“Northeast Iowa Community College is so close to my high school that I took advantage of the opportunity right away,” said Larson, who also took several concurrent enrollment courses to earn college credit.

Northeast Iowa Career Learning Link enables high school students to learn about high-demand career areas, participate in job shadows and meet with a career coach to help with determining their post-graduation plans. When Larson learned more about the career pathway certificates in advanced manufacturing, specifically in Welding (Basic), he enrolled.

Larson is the first student enrolled in Northeast Iowa Career Learning Link to earn a career pathway certificate in an advanced manufacturing program. The Welding (Basic) program introduces students to the interpretation of blueprints, safety basics in the welding environment as well as the fundamentals of welding, such as using different types of welds in order to repair or fabricate items.

“I received great experience from the Welding career pathway certificate program at Northeast Iowa Community College,” Larson said. “We worked on welding joints, including aluminum, MIG (metal inert gas), aluminum pulse welding, TIG (tungsten inert gas) and steel. We also welded in flat, vertical, horizontal and overhead positions to increase our skills.”

Larson’s mother, Ruth Larson, believes that career pathway certificate programs offer high school students more choices when determining their post-graduation plans. “The Welding career pathway certificate program at NICC enables young students with certifications to obtain an entry-level job with their skills. Students who have a certificate have an extra edge that stands out to employers when they apply for a job,” she said.

In addition to his studies at both Waukon High School and at the College’s Cresco Center welding lab, Larson participated in athletics in his school for several years. He competed in wrestling, track and football during his freshman and sophomore years. An injury sidelined him for the football season his junior year, and he is currently focusing on track. He was also named into the National Honors Society in 2016.

Larson’s future plans include attending a four-year school to earn a bachelor’s degree, continuing his football career and working part-time as a welder.

“My teacher at the NICC Cresco Center, Ron Boenig, is a welder at Featherlite in Cresco,” Larson explains. “I have an opportunity for a welding job there now.”

More information about the Welding (Basic) career pathway certificate program and other advanced manufacturing career pathway certificates can be found at www.nicc.edu/advancedmanufacturing. For more information about Northeast Iowa Career Learning Link, visit www.nicc.edu/careerlearninglink.