Photo from WickedLocal.com.
As a new school year begins, a Massachusetts community is benefitting from a SkillsUSA project completed near the end of the last school year. That’s when carpentry and electrical program juniors and seniors from the Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton completed construction on a large vehicle garage that’s now being used by the local Bridgewater Police Department. Students and school staff were presented with a plaque during a ceremony to mark the completion of this multi-year project.
“Our carpentry and electrical students worked diligently to finish this project, and they should be commended for not only their tremendous effort to see the project through, but also the high-quality work they were able to accomplish,” said Jacqueline Machamer, Bristol-Plymouth’s vocational technical coordinator. “This project was definitely a win-win for our school and the Bridgewater Police, and this building will serve as a testament to the high level of skill our students are capable of even in the most challenging of times.”
Carpentry instructor Doug Coray and electrical instructors Christopher Moniz, Keith Powers and Thomas Ross supervised the project, and roughly 120 carpentry and electrical students from the classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022 participated. The outbuilding, located at the rear of the police station, now houses specialized equipment for the police department and serves as a major incident coordination point when needed.
“Partnering with our local cities and towns is a terrific way to give our students real-world experience and show them how the things they are learning at Bristol-Plymouth will help them as they progress in their careers,” said Bristol-Plymouth superintendent and director Alexandre Magalhaes, Ed.D. “In addition to applying and strengthening students’ technical skills, participation in community projects also develops employability skills and problem-solving skills. The authentic experience of a community project also serves as a way for our school and our students to give back to their communities in a meaningful way. It’s the real deal, and they have to get it right.”
“The students who worked to complete this building did so while battling a pandemic and working in all seasons through adverse weather conditions,” Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher Delmonte said. “We are thrilled with the result, and we appreciate every student and staff member from Bristol-Plymouth who contributed to this building. We look forward to putting it to good use.”
Photos and quotes originally appeared on the website, WickedLocal.com.
