It’s almost 9:30 a.m. and students trickle into the classroom at Lindbergh High School. Creed Nelson stands in front of his class, settles down the students and begins class by taking out a small, plastic bag.

“This is your kit,” he says, taking out the two aluminum pieces, various rivets and other small tools that are in it. “These tools are from Boeing’s 737 line. You’ll receive a similar kit if you work there.”

The objective of the day is to teach riveting and how to apply that understanding to an aerospace project. After receiving instructions on how to start their projects, students head to the workshop with their kits and start working.

It’s just another day in the Aerospace and Manufacturing class, a program that’s designed to give students practical, hands-on understanding of basic manufacturing process, as well as prepare them for careers in aircraft design and construction right after high school.

“It’s a preparatory class that teaches students skills so they can go into manufacturing, specifically in the aerospace field,” said Nelson. “It’s different from most Career and Technical Educational classes, as most of those are exploratory classes where you’re exploring that field and testing it out to see if this something you want to do; it’s more of a broader picture. What we’re trying to do in the aerospace programs throughout the district is teach them the skills that they’re going to need to get hired.”

The major appeal of the program is the prospect of being hired by Boeing and other manufacturing companies right after graduation.

Lindbergh was chosen to pilot the program six years ago for the district. Since then, Nelson has been able to train and help his students earn jobs right after graduation. Last year, of the seven seniors who were enrolled in the class, one now works at Boeing, two are working in another aerospace manufacturing company, two are in the military in aerospace jobs and one works in building trades. This year, he has 27 seniors in his class and anticipates more hires upon graduation.

Due to the success at Lindbergh, the program is being made available at Renton and Hazen High Schools this year as well. Hazen has two sections with 54 students total and Renton has one section with 27 students.

This class is in high demand across the district because of the prospect of being hired right after graduation.

“[This class] is a way of getting students motivated to think about what their careers are going to be when they graduate,” said Bill Rahr, teacher at Renton. “I tell my students that they’re here to learn how to use the machines and work in a lab, that can then be translated into something when they graduate. But bottom line is I want them to really look into what they want to do as a career and how to get that career.”

According to Tyler Dobbs, a 2015 graduate from Lindbergh, the skills he learned during class proved useful when he was hired at Boeing after graduation.

“I had an advantage over other people,” Dobbs said. “During training, they assessed our skills, and they had us do a project very similar to these. I already gone through this class so I knew how to drill through these plates and I was familiar with riveting and the different types of rivets. There were advanced techniques they showed us but the basics really helped me a lot. I wouldn’t say I had a leg up on anyone, but it was easier for me. There were a lot of people who went through training with me who had never touched a drill before or never done anything like that.”

The class is also beneficial to students who want to attend four-year colleges, Nelson said, especially in engineering fields as it teaches highly specialized skills and there is still a prospect of being hired by Boeing. Boeing even pays for higher education after working there for a year, he added.

Since this is the first year all three high schools in the district are offering this class, the curriculum was revamped to not only to include metal machining — added in response to the shortage of skilled machinists in the Puget Sound area — but also career preparedness.

“In addition to the shop skills, we are focusing on the soft skills by assisting students with resume writing and interviewing skills,” said Nelson. “We are having students write resumes specific for manufacturing positions so they can apply for positions the day after graduation. We also work with the students individually doing mock interviews, so they are better prepared when they are called for an interview to be able to rise above the competition.”

The teachers are working with Boeing recruiters to help students learn first-hand what Boeing looks for in fresh-out-of-high-school candidates.

According to Dobbs, the soft skills training students receive are useful in the work force.

“One thing that was really big on Mr. Nelson’s class was teamwork,” said Dobbs. “There were projects we had where we worked as a team over the course of two or three weeks to get something built. I learned a lot in those types of projects… Those skills helped me in Boeing when it came time to work with the people around and having good communication with them. I learned that here [at Lindbergh]. I learned how to make sure my opinion is heard, and that if you respect their opinion, they’re going to respect your opinion back. That’s something Mr. Nelson taught me.”