The Mycenaean

Students who take construction core as a class at any high school have the opportunity to acquire their Osha 10 certification and their NCCER blue card certification. Students who are able to get these certifications receive a jump start into a trade skill career. 

In the beginning of the class, students get introduced to both of the online courses. For each of the certifications, there is a schedule set up that each student is recommended to follow in order to stay on track with the course. 

The Osha certification is an online course that consists of a pre test, 15 units, and a final assessment. Each unit has videos, important notes, and questions to help you grasp the concept. This course is mostly completed by students outside of the shop on their own time. 

The NCCER certification is a little bit more structured. Students take notes during class that follow along with the topics in the textbook. Each week on Tuesdays, Ms. Arwood comes in to help proctor the tests. The tests cover all the material learned the previous week and are typically between 20-30 questions. A grade of 70 or above is needed to pass the unit test, however, makeup tests are allowed. Due to the fact that students must pass every test to receive their certification, they can take the test as many times as they need to. 

There is also a small number of “hands on” tests that each student must complete. These tests include simple tasks that cover the safety and health hazards on the job. Ladder usage, hand tool and power tool skills, PPE (personal protective equipment), and knot tying are a few examples of the “hands on” tests. 

Taking part in courses like the OSHA 10 and the NCCER certifications while in highschool gives you a big head start. 

Not only can these certifications help you out if you plan on going into a trade in the future, but they are all around a great thing to have. When applying for a job, having these certifications can make your application stronger. Part of the certifications curriculum is safety which applies everywhere, not just in a job in the construction field. 

“Getting these certifications in high school is a must. This way when they graduate they have something to take away from school. They can apply for it whether it’s a job, any job really, college applications, and of course they are more fit if you want to go into construction,” said Mr. Miura, the construction and carpentry teacher. 

If you plan on going to college for a trade, having these certifications prior to college gets you ahead. If you go to school for construction, engineering, plumbing, electrical, or carpentry, all of these jobs require students to take a class and get their OSHA 10 and nccer cards.

“If you want to go into construction, engineering, these things are already required of students. So as a high school student you already have it taken care of and you don’t have to retake this class,” said Mr. Miura.