Skyrocketing college costs have sparked a renewed interest in career and technical education. Kalama, Washington's award-winning carpentry teacher and district CTE director Cory Torppa joins Ed Post to discuss his innovative courses in carpentry, construction and engineering design and what it takes to build career and technical programs that help large numbers of high schoolers move into well-paid careers in skilled trades.
Cory Torppa teaches construction, engineering design, and manufacturing at Kalama High School and has more than 18 years of experience preparing students for careers in the trades. Torppa also serves as the Kalama School District’s Career & Technical Education (CTE) Director and the advisor for Kalama High School’s SkillsUSA chapter, where students learn technical skills in preparation for competition and network with skilled trades professionals. Torppa has earned many awards and distinctions throughout his career. Last year, he was awarded the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence and won $100,000 for Kalama High School’s technical education program.