A variety of students walk through the metal doors of the vocational building at Natrona County High School.

Some wear shoes made for skateboarding, others cowboy boots. Some students excel in all their classes, and some just try to make it to the last bell.

Many find future careers in the tangles of red and blue wires; the roar of engines; the yellow-gold embers crackling off welding torches onto slick concrete floors.

"We've got everyone," said welding instructor Scott Schutte. "We've got straight A students, and kids that are struggling to come to school everyday."

Career and technical education courses have long been seen as the classes students take when they "can't do anything else." Yet the majority of Wyoming's jobs are in some way related to those very classes, said Toni Decklever, state director of SkillsUSA for Wyoming.

Nationally, around 60 to 65 percent of available jobs are in skilled labor, where workers need more than a high school education, but not a four-year degree.

"This isn't a third choice, or a fourth choice," Decklever said. "The potential for this being a first choice is very real."

Dave Woodward, owner of Casper Tin, said many potential employees come looking for a job, not a career. They don't realize how much working in a skilled trade can offer them, nor have they been taught to think long-term when it comes to their profession.

Employers want someone who has the skills and work ethic needed to start and stick with a job, Woodward continued. But finding employees ready for the responsibilities of a career is proving tough to do.

"I'll go through five to keep one," Woodward said.

In Natrona County, career and technical education courses fill up every year, said Tom McIntosh, the school district's director of vocational education.

McIntosh said around 80 percent of workers with a two-year degree earn more than those holding a four-year degree. Space has long been an issue when it comes to providing career and technical education to students, he added.

More facility space would mean more students could take career and technical courses, and the community and state greatly need workers, he continued. Almost 2,000 high school students in the county are enrolled in vocational courses this semester.

"I sure would like to see a career and technical high school in this town," McIntosh said. "We need it bad."

Natrona County students can take vocational classes in six areas: health occupations, agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, business, marketing and technical education.

Within those six areas, 71 classes are offered for dual-credit with Casper College. Dual-credit classes help students make a seamless transition into college course work, McIntosh said.

The new CY Middle School will have a career exploration center to introduce students to career and technical education, and to get them thinking about what high school classes they should take.

"Wyoming is a blue-collar state," McIntosh said. "That's the type of jobs we have for our students."

Even though career and technical classes fill up, educators still have a hard time sparking initial interest in those courses.

"I can't put my finger on why," McIntosh said.

The mentality that vocational careers are a last resort might have something to do with it. The trades have long let themselves be viewed as third-rate professions, said Josh Carnahan, executive director of Wyoming Associated Builders. Carnahan is also a member of the Natrona County School Board.

"Kids are brought up to believe you need a better life," Carnahan said. "The theory is that everyone has to go to college to succeed."

Carnahan and Woodward agreed that theory isn't always a good one. Woodward said half of his workers are homeowners, and the other half are driving brand new pick-up trucks.

"You live a good life in the skilled trades," Carnahan said.

For many, college means four--or maybe more--years of higher education. Post-secondary education is necessary to advance in a vocational career, but the four-year university system may not be right for everyone.

Decklever said the Hathaway Scholarship's emphasis on academics has many vocational education teachers in the state frustrated. An oil company might employ 10 welding engineers, but it likely needs 400 welders, she continued.

"Think about it," Decklever said. "What kinds of jobs require a bachelor's degree?"

A rigorous curriculum can prepare students to be dependable workers, but focusing solely on core classes leaves less time to explore different subjects. If a student struggles in cores classes, putting more emphasis on them makes the school day that much harder to get through.

"We all know that you learn better if you like it," Decklever said. "If they're excited about what they're learning, they'll come back."

Taking welding II was a natural choice for Natrona County High School student Blaine Phillips. Blaine, 17, already uses the skills he's learned in his welding classes to work for his dad.

Blaine's large silver belt buckle echoed his words that it'll likely be a rodeo scholarship that takes him to college. But once Blaine's there, he wants to spend his class time learning more about welding.

Being in welding II has made him think this is something he'll pursue as a career, he said.

"It's a really good class," Blaine said. "It teaches you to do a lot of things that'll actually get you somewhere.

"It's actual work. You're not just sitting behind a desk."

Reach Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com.