South Odom High School staff and students showcased the school’s welding Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway Monday and reported the program has reached capacity, with the instructor approved for dual-credit instruction.

The presentation matters because it shows a successful, quickly implemented CTE program that now offers college credit and local workforce pathway alignment; staff said they are turning students away because the course has reached enrollment limits.

Melissa Weasley (identified in the meeting as a school administrator) introduced the welding team and students and said the program launched rapidly after district outreach and course planning. Declan Jacobs, the welding instructor, was approved as an adjunct professor through Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC), and the district’s facility received SACS accreditation to offer the courses for dual credit, presenters said. "We just found out this past month that Mister Jacobs was approved to be an adjunct professor through JCTC, and that our facility was also SACS accredited," a presenter said.

The welding program traces to a 2022 student survey of 855 responses that identified demand for hands‑on pathways. School presenters said welding replaced a prior industrial maintenance/wood-products pathway that had lost its teacher and that district leaders visited regional programs to design a facility appropriate to available space. Construction of the shop began in spring 2023 and classes began that fall.

Presenters said the program is at maximum enrollment and the school is prioritizing upperclassmen when demand outstrips capacity. Student participants showcased recent awards and asked district leaders to support continued program growth and pathways to industry certifications and postsecondary credit.

District and school staff said the welding program’s accreditation and the instructor’s adjunct approval open opportunities for dual-credit college coursework in the spring semester; they also described outreach to the local union (Local 502) and area employers to create work-based opportunities for students.

No procurement or capital funding action was recorded on Monday regarding expansion of the welding space; educators requested continued district support for the CTE pathways and for coordination with postsecondary partners to expand capacity.