Blue Collar Tour highlights importance of trade work at CTC

When some people hear the words "blue collar" and "tour" together, they immediately think of the comedy quartet featuring the likes of Jeff Foxworthy and Larry The Cable Guy.

But the Blue Collar Tour that visited the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center on Monday, Feb. 26, however, spends its time highlighting the value of trade work to students across the country.

The tour, put on by Western Welding Academy of Gillette, Wyoming, began Jan. 16, and is visiting 30 high schools and trade schools across the United States. CTC is stop No. 26, and was one of the institutions selected out of approximately 50,000 applicants.

“It was pretty awesome when they called," CTC welding instructor Brandon Bradshaw said. "It was a little last minute, but when they said that we were chosen, it was a pretty neat thing. They’ve been really, really good about keeping not just CTC welding students but all the other trades involved in the excitement."

Bradshaw discovered the Blue Collar Tour through social media and was prompted to apply because of students’ interest. Students who attended the event were able to view welding demonstrations from academy instructors, answer trivia questions for a chance to win prizes and practice some of their skills.

"Social media is big on welding and promoting welding, and I’d seen the Blue Collar Tour on Instagram," Bradshaw said. "I also had a few students hit me up and ask me, ‘Hey, why don’t you put an application in to see if they’ll stop at our school?' That’s where it all started."

Western Welding Academy was founded by Tyler Sasse in 2019 to help fill the demand for skilled labor by training the next generation of pipe welders and fitters. In 2020, Sasse and his team decided to embark on their first tour.

"I’m really big on the economics of our country, and I’m really big on the future of our nation," Sasse said. "I think this is the best country in the world, and I want to do everything I can to promote that, preserve that and protect that. So, I decided we’re going to do this thing where we’re going to travel across the country and talk to kids. We’re going to motivate them, inspire them and tell them, ‘Hey, there’s so much more waiting for you after you graduate high school, so just stay there and finish.' That’s what we do with this Blue Collar Tour. We share some of the places we’ve been, the things we get to see, and we talk about all the different trades because they’re all super important."

While welding is Sasse’s passion, he said he hopes the Blue Collar Tour will help students comprehend the importance of blue-collar workers in the United States.

"Obviously, we’re here to talk about what we do. We want to showcase our trade, but we want to really talk about all the other trades that are out there, not just welding," Sasse said. "I like to say, ‘If you got a sharp line and a strong back, you should be a welder.' But if you’re not, go into a trade of some sort because it’s so rewarding. You get to work with your hands, you’re going to make so much more money, you’re going to have better benefits, and it’s just overall a better career."