“Seven KCCC Students Earn Building Trades Elite Status”

Mount Vernon, OH- The Knox County Career Center Building Trades program
recognized seven students who earned the status of “Building Trades Elite.”

“Building Trades Elite” (BT Elite) is a program generated by Colby Clippinger, KCCC
Building Trades instructor, and the KCCC Building Trades Advisory Council that began in
2019-2020. The program’s criteria centers around attendance, discipline, industry credentialing,
and extracurricular activities. A point system is set up where students earn points for
attendance, grades, industry credentialing, and extracurricular activities. Students can lose
points for being tardy, absent, and for discipline issues. In order to earn “BT Elite” status,
students must earn 250 points and must maintain 250 points or higher until graduation to keep
the “BT Elite” status.

The “BT Elite” program is completely company-sponsored according to Clippinger.
Students who earn “BT Elite” status are awarded a hoodie and an interview shirt. The
companies pay for the hoodies and interview shirts. The hoodie has the Building Trades Elite
crest on the back along with the company sponsors. The student’s name and “BT Elite” are on
the front of the hoodie. The interview shirt has “BT Elite” and the student’s name on the front.
Clippinger commented, “We appreciate the companies who have partnered with us on
the “BT Elite” program. The “BT Elite” program creates a well-rounded and ready-to-hire
student.”

Students (pictured L to R) James Bennett, Pierce Leasure, Jayden Flack, Coen Frazier,
and Ayden Kennedy along with Blake Green and Kadence Mickley (not pictured) earned “BT
Elite” status recently and received their hoodies and interview shirts. Fifty-nine students from the
Building Trades program have now earned “BT Elite” status since its inception.

“The BT Elite program has had a profound impact on the students. It continually helps
keep students accountable for themselves and they are now encouraging other students to
attain the same level. This will only improve the quality of tradespeople entering into the
workforce,” added Clippinger.

KCCC & the Building Trades program would like to thank the companies who sponsor
“BT Elite”. Thank you to J & B Acoustical, Ohio Contractors Association, ProTech Basement
Solutions, LiUNA! Local 1216, Kokosing, Corna Kokosing, Brennstuhl Construction, Modern
Builders, Gray Mechanical, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local
735, Holmes Rental & Sales, Meade Roofing Services, Small’s Sand & Gravel, Ellis Brothers,
Igel, Ruhlin, Knox Concrete, ACP, Mack Industries, and Rietschlin Construction for partnering
with us!