BURTON, Ohio — Sitting in a classroom was never Logan Jackson's preference.
"For me, I get bored, I get fidgety," the senior at Berkshire High School in Burton said.
He's one of the nearly 40 students in the district utilizing the new Workforce Development Campus, a formerly vacant ODOT facility that has since been converted to help train students as mechanics.
"I get to come and work on cars and do stuff I actually like to do," he added. " It doesn't feel like school — I don't dread doing it."
Last May, News 5 highlighted how the district bought the 5-acre facility with the help of neighboring Preston Superstore, with the plan of exposing students to vehicle repairs and diesel maintenance.
Watch that story here:
What launched as a diesel mechanics program has since expanded to include traditional automotive and manufacturing training — and a brand-new building now stands on the site of the old salt dome, featuring a mechanics garage and several classrooms.
"What we found is in the first year of the program, whether you're doing auto tech, diesel tech or manufacturing tech, they’re learning about electrical systems, pneumatic systems, hydraulic systems, so a lot of the same basic things," Superintendent Dr. John Stoddard explained. "We wanted to give our kids options as they grow into the program."
"When these guys graduate, they're going to be able to go into any dealerships and have their foot in the door," Mike Potyonek, the instructor who is also a shop foreman and lead technician at Preston Superstore, said.
Superintendent John Stoddard said the partnership with Preston Superstore is designed to give students a direct path to success, whether or not they pursue a four-year college degree.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there will be 25,600 new diesel mechanic job openings each year over the next decade.
"We want all our kids to achieve the American dream," Stoddard said. "The way we're going to do that is setting up these strong workforce partnerships that allow them to go in and be successful right away, have a happy life, and the benefit to that is they stay here in the county."
Jackson told News 5 he finds himself spending roughly two hours in the shop each day, tackling whatever work is in front of them.
"Whatever is in the shop," he said. "There's not a specific day you're working on this. One day you could be working on a transmission, the next day you could be pulling a motor out of the car. The next day, you could diagnose why the door handle doesn't work."
"I've always been interested in mechanics," senior Nick Ksiazka added.
Jackson also noted that while he plans to work in construction following graduation, the practical training he's learning will help him beyond the classroom.
"Being able to work on your own car — if a check engine light comes on, most people are like 'oh have to take it to the dealership' — I could take it into my own hands and physically work on the car," Jackson said.
The school district is now preparing to offer students a summer internship program of sorts, where students will work in teams over five weeks to restore a used car, with proceeds from the sale of the vehicle going back into the school program.
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
