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Presenter: South St. Paul trades program grows to about 210 students; updated shop space needed
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Summary
A presenter for the South St. Paul Public School Dist said the district's 'Art of the Trades' program has expanded from about 20 students to roughly 210 and that limited shop space and equipment mean updated facilities are needed to sustain the growth and teach teamwork and other soft skills.
A presenter for the South St. Paul Public School Dist said enrollment in the district's "Art of the Trades" program has surged and that updated shop facilities are needed to support the larger program. "Interest in the trades has grown in this district," the presenter said.
The presenter said the district is rooted in a blue-collar history and that, after schools moved away from trades education over the past 20 to 25 years, administrators restarted hands-on instruction four years ago with the Art of the Trades course. "Four years ago, we decided to bring it back with a class called art of the trades," the presenter said, noting the original class drew about 20 students who wanted hands-on woodworking and basic home-repair training.
"That class has exploded," the presenter said. "Next year, we're gonna have 210 kids taking the 7 different classes." The presenter described the expansion as a response to both student interest and community support.
But the presenter warned that space and equipment are now constraining the program: "The limitations of the space that we currently have, not enough machines," the presenter said, adding that the current shop forces teachers to rotate students through stations rather than allowing steady progression on tools and projects.
Local business leaders, the presenter said, have urged the district to prioritize soft skills such as communication and problem-solving in addition to technical training. "We need kids who are able to communicate, to talk through problems, be able to problem solve together," the presenter said, arguing that a larger, better-equipped woodshop would let students work together and build teamwork skills.
The presenter framed the program as workforce preparation and community support, saying trades instruction helps students "not only take care of yourself, but take care of your community" and produces local carpenters, plumbers and other skilled workers. The presenter also called the courses "life skills" that strengthen both students and the broader South St. Paul community.
The transcript records no formal motion or vote on facility improvements; the presenter described the program's growth and needs but did not announce a specific funding request or next procedural step during these remarks.
