Thanks to Josh Temple — television host, licensed contractor and vocal Boys Town supporter — and his friends at Lincoln Electric, young men and women who are learning to weld at Boys Town’s Career Readiness Center are now using the latest high-tech equipment and gear.

Since its founding 100 years ago, Boys Town has supported trade education for youth, at various times teaching carpentry, farming, machining and other skills as part of Father Flanagan’s vision to give at-risk youth every opportunity to thrive. Today, Boys Town continues to invest heavily in developing trade and technical programs, building and equipping the necessary facilities, and providing students with the real-world, hands-on experience employers desperately seek when hiring new employees.

This is particularly true in Boys Town’s welding program, where students experience the thrill of creating something new and useful by expertly joining pieces of raw metal. Temple was so impressed with the program that he contacted his friends at Lincoln Electric to tell them about it. The firm, a multi-national conglomerate and global leader in the welding supply business, immediately recognized the potential of Boys Town’s program and donated a plasma torch and other equipment to help students learn their trade using the industry’s latest tools and techniques.

The young men and women in these Career Readiness Center classes will soon leave Boys Town with an in-demand skill that will help them achieve success well beyond graduation. To help them get there, Boys Town’s Trade Life ^SM program will provide mentoring and support after they leave Boys Town, guiding them toward their immediate and long-term goals.

To learn more, read the article at Lincoln Electric’s ARC magazine and view the video.