October 2022 -- Vestavia Hills City Schools partners with a workforce development program called the Academy of Craft Training. At their campus in downtown Birmingham, students have the opportunity to learn industrial crafts including building construction, electrical, welding, HVAC, and interior-exterior finishes. Many students receive high-paying job offers upon graduation and unlock numerous postsecondary opportunities based on their skills and expertise in the construction industry. In this episode, Whit and Brooke talk with Academy of Craft Training Director of Education Russ Cofield, welding instructor Darren Ledbetter, and Vestavia Hills High School senior Emily Salas who is in the Academy's welding program.
