Armed with tools and knowledge from the new Residential Carpentry class, students will be able to fix household problems and apply their basic training to enter the construction field.

It is a year-long class in which the students learn to do tasks such as plumbing and hanging drywall.

According to Residential Carpentry teacher Arlan Vomhof, in order to meet state standards the school had to offer new hands-on classes. The class was thought to be useful for students.

“It offers them the ability to work with their hands and learn how to fix things in the future when they own a home,” Vomhof said.

The class schedule is divided between class work and lab work. Class work consists of learning from the textbook and taking notes. Lab work is where the students do the actual carpentry.

“Some days we’re in the classroom, some days we’re in the shop,” senior Daniel Higgins said. “If we’re in the class, we take notes and if we’re in the lab, you pick up where you left off last class. It’s pretty easy.”

The students can receive a certificate in basic construction knowledge at the end of the course if they pass all eight of the certification tests. The certification is from The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).