Kawasaki partners with Lincoln High for residency program

Lincoln High School is working with a local employer to help develop the manufacturing workforce. 

The annual six-week residency program is a partnership between Lincoln High and Kawasaki Motors. Kawasaki employees come and mentor the high school students during the school’s advanced welding class.  

“I heard about the job opportunities offered. Also, it’s kind of a better way to improve a skill that I kind of already didn't have that developed during the first semester,” Lincoln High senior Merrick said. 

Professional welders teach the students more skilled welding techniques and help perfect those newly learned skills. 

“I think it's very important to be one-on-one because everybody's going to be different,” Kawasaki team lead Kyle Petersen said. “Some people are going to have certain skills, other people are going to have other skills and I think it's important to kind of cater yourself and adapt to each student's needs.”  

“It’s great to see the students get real-world experience,” Lincoln High teacher Mark Ortmeier said. 

They also provide much-needed encouragement along the way. 

“I know my experience when somebody is just telling me all the things I'm doing wrong. It's kind of just like a downer. It makes me a lot more motivated when somebody tells me you know, I can improve on this, but you're doing this, this and this really well,” Petersen said.

“They always offer advice to you,” Merrick added. “It makes the welding a whole lot easier.

The partnership allows students to explore trades as a potential career. Kawasaki also recruits students directly from the class to join its team like Merrick. 

This collaboration is the type of exposure that helped Kawasaki trainer, Joshua Murphy, find his future. Murphy learned about the welding industry while enrolled in The Career Academy at Lincoln Public Schools. Now, the Northeast High School alum gets to help excite others to work alongside him in the field. 

“There are not a lot of places that actually help with manufacturing,” Murphy said. “It’s really satisfying to me –helping people achieve more.”

The Kawasaki partnership at Lincoln High is an extension of an initiative with LPS middle schools from a state grant three years ago. The school district hopes to expand the program to more high schools in the future. 

To learn more about our skilled and technical curriculum, visit our Career and Technical Education website at https://home.lps.org/cte.

See the students in action with the Kawasaki mentors in the slideshow below. 

---