Modern Alchemist Turns Sheet Metal into Gold

Long ago, Alchemists tried to turn lead into gold. Flash forward to June 24-25, 2004, in Kansas City, Missouri. Joshua Taylor, using skills gained in the Metals Program at Hephzibah High School, turned ordinary sheet metal into a first-place gold medal.

In front of 20,000 people, Joshua built a complicated part of an air conditioning duct using a set of drawings, flat sheets of metal, and his talented hands and mind. He also had to take a difficult written test. The result: GOLD in the SkillsUSA National Competition.

And Joshua continues to turn his education, grounded in the CEFGA/NCCER Contren Learning Series® Curriculum, into gold. Employed by Creighton Laircey Company of Augusta, GA, Joshua says he is making "a really decent living" for himself and his young family.

"Having the educational background in the metals program has given me a leg up on other guys going into sheet metal work. I figure I started out making $3-$4 more per hour because of the things on my transcript." Joshua also feels that he will progress quicker than someone with fewer credentials. He gets asked to help train others because of what he has done in school. "The boss knows I know stuff. I'm put on some really interesting and hard projects," Joshua says with pride.

Joshua said there was a lot more to learn than just sheet metal. "The courses at Hephzibah covered a lot of basic things that are good to know - like safety, MSDS, and how to use all kinds of tools. I don't have to be trained in all that, so I am a better worker from day one," he says.

The future looks as shiny for Joshua Taylor as the finish on his gold medal. He loves what he does and he gets paid well for his skills.

CEFGA is a nonprofit organization founded in 1993 by the Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia (ABC). Today it is supported by more than 3,000 construction companies and trade associations. CEFGA exists to address and help reduce a growing shortage of skilled workers in Georgia - approximately 3,000 per year according to the Georgia Department of Labor. For information visit www.cefga.org or call 770-685-1332.