Welding and Metal Fabrication Seniors Chris Maynard and Matt Jacques have been working at a local Welding company as part of the Work Based Learning at Cheney Tech. They are applying the skills they developed in shop gaining real world experience and getting paid to do it.

Chris and Matt started at MD Welding and Fabrication LLC in October and both say they really enjoy the experience. "It's great to work on all kinds of jobs here. We have really learned a lot already, " said Chris. MD Welding and Fabrication is owned by Mike Doyon, a 1987 graduate of the Welding program at Cheney Tech. He started his company five years ago because there was a great demand for Welding work in the area. "We have stayed busy. A lot of companies have given us work ranging from gas turbine parts to frames for boilers."

Chris and Matt work from noon to 5 pm when they are in shop and work three days a week after school when they are in academics. Doyon said that he was impressed with the work done by Chris and Matt so far. Doyon knows that they had good training at Cheney Tech because he had the same teacher as Chris and Matt. "Mr. Cullen was my teacher so I know that the two of them have gotten a strong foundation in Welding from him." Chris and Matt both attributed their success to Mr. Cullen also. "He is a great teacher who really knows his stuff and knows what it takes to make it in the real world."