This pilot project sees TK1, with funding from the Northwest Regional Education Cooperative #2, creating up to 10 student-powered videos capturing the work and reflections of skilled tradespeople throughout northern New Mexico. Each video will explore a different trade by interviewing a local tradesperson and then showing images of that individual at a job site. The intent is to inspire a student audience, informing them of the choices a local individual made upon graduating high school to the current stage of their career, including income level, responsibilities, and aspirations.

Under TK1’s supervision and direction, students from Questa, Peñasco, Mesa Vista, Jemez Mountains, and Pojoaque will lead these video shoots. TK1 professional staff will then edit the footage into final products according to a tight production timeline. Penultimate versions of the videos will be shown on May 4 at the National Skilled Trades Day Fair in Peñasco, with final versions created before the end of the school year.

The ultimate outcome of this work is to show students very real, very rewarding, and very achievable career paths that can keep them in this state as highly productive members of society. This will also help fill a growing void in the local workforce, and ideally will be the first videos of an extensive archive of local careers and work.

Partnerships

In addition to the partnership between TK1, NWREC#2 and the five participating school districts, this work will create partnerships with the Taos County Chamber of Commerce (for whom this represents an important perk for businesses) and relevant unions across northern NM (for whom this represents an important recruiting tool).

Dissemination

TK1 will work to have these videos disseminated via New Mexico PBS; via social media, including YouTube; via schools (e.g. mailing lists, their own social media accounts); and will be archived on various web sites in northern NM.

TK1 will also strongly evaluate this effort to ensure important lessons are learned, with the project evolving accordingly.