Charles Henderson High School will be extending one of its certification program to out-of-school-youth ages 17 to 24 beginning in June.

Dr. Brock Kelley, CHHS principal, said the program will allow the school to make an impact outside of the bounds of the typical school experience.

“This is our way of extending the training that we can give at CHHS to the City of Troy and the entire county,” Kelley said.

The training will be a six-week program to certify participants as Certified Production Technicians (CPTs) within the framework of the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) certification.

The school system has already implemented the certification into its 18-week Ready to Work program for high school students, but Kelley said he wanted to take the program further.

“It’s important to provide this not only to students, but to others who are out of school that may be disadvantaged or can’t get these certifications,” Kelley said. “We have new businesses coming into Troy left and right and I just want to be a part of the success of Troy, I want to see our young people living in Troy and spending their dollars in Troy. The more people we have certified and going to work will help build the economy in Troy.”

Kelley said extending the program outside of the school’s walls is a step toward helping the community grow.

“My family lives in Troy, we shop in Troy, we own a business in Troy – I want to see Troy successful,” Kelley said. “I want to see Pike County successful. I’ve spoken to Mayor Jason Reeves on several occasions and he has been very, very supportive … The number one question businesses ask is “Do you have a well-educated, well-prepared workforce?” I want to be able to show them that we do. I want us to be able to show that CHHS is certifying x number of people under 25 that are able to go to work immediately and make your business successful.”

The program will begin in June and will be held four hours a day, four days a week at the high school campus. There are 20 spots available for the program. People interested in participating in the program should call the school and ask to speak to Kelley about joining the program.

Part of the program will even include virtual and augmentative reality to allow participants to learn as if in the factory without ever leaving campus.

Kelley said these certifications are a major factor in getting hired quickly into manufacturing and related industries.

“Businesses in the state say if these young people come out with these certifications they will go straight to the hiring list,” Kelley said. “Through this program they they learn soft skills and manufacturing skills. Troy is right in the heart of the manufacturing industry. It’s a good fit here with Rex Lumber and Kimber coming in, Cox Container and Lockheed Martin already here ­–­ there’s no reason we should have anyone not certified to go to work. I want to play a small part in helping kids and young adults get to where they want to be successful and help the economy in Troy.”