U.S. Sen. Richard Burr placed his 1936 Dodge pickup in the hands of students at the Career Academy and Technical School for restoration, and said he has no concerns at all about the job they will do.
“When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped on the opportunity,” said Burr.
The senator called CATS a “jewel in the middle of nowhere” while touring the automotive technology school Monday and checking on the progress on his truck.
Auto-tech students disassembled Burr’s vintage pickup and are working on restoring the body, engine, brakes and suspension. Students at Surry Community College originally received Burr’s truck more than six years ago, but they couldn’t perform the work necessary so it was passed to CATS.
“It’s a really neat project for us,” said CATS instructor Martin Page. “We’re just glad to be a part of it.”
Once the auto-tech students finish their job, the vehicle will be sent to the NASCAR Technical Institute for metalwork. John Dodson, team relations director for the institute, joined Burr on the tour. The institute has donated cars in the past to the school for students to use for practice.
“Anything we can do to support a great program like this that turns out great graduates, we want to do that,” said Dodson. “(The auto-tech program) is unparalleled in the state of North Carolina, if not in the whole Southeast. This is a premier program that needs to be recognized as that.”
Auto-tech student Blake Clinard said working with such an old truck was a new experience for him.
“You’ve got to be more careful,” said Clinard, senior at South Iredell High. “It’s more interesting because you get to see what they used to use.”
The students separated the cabin from the body of the truck and are delving into the inner workings of the pickup. Page said the project will take longer than most of the ones the auto-tech students work on, but that the extra time will be valuable for really understanding how the vehicle works.
Burr applauded Iredell-Statesville Schools during the tour for coming up with innovative programs that offer alternative routes through high school. The senator said many school systems in the state had given up on teaching vocational skills, instead relying on community colleges to fill the need.
“It’s an indication of a school system that’s determined to make sure every child leaves K through 12 with the marketable skills to be hired,” Burr said. “This is exactly what I’ve been going around the state promoting. We have to figure out how to get kids into the trades they want.”
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement