ROMEO, Mich. – Skilled trades are critical to Michigan and our nation’s future, and at Romeo High School, they’ve been ahead of the curve.
Students there aren’t just learning from books—they’re building, designing, and creating with their own hands, leading them straight into high-paying jobs after high school. Romeo High School is helping students Trade Up, giving them a head start. That’s the mission at Romeo High School, where wall-to-wall academies connect classroom learning to career training.
One academy in particular, Design, Engineering, and Manufacturing, provides students with hands-on experience using real-world tools and skills.
“Romeo High School has academies where every student is able to earn a CTE certification or learn some type of skilled trades,” said Daniel Kiehler, a teacher at Romeo High School.
Teachers like Kiehler understand the value of the trades. Before teaching, he spent two decades in the field as a mechanic. Today, he’s helping students build skills and confidence—one project at a time.
Jacob Schaltraw, a senior at Romeo High School, shared, “I learned how to work the machines, clean them, maintain them, and how to actually make something from a raw block of steel into something useful that can help someone.”
Silvio Palumbo, another senior, added, “What I like about this class is you can learn everything, and if you find one trade you love, you can stick with it and really work on it. It’s great.”
Students here don’t just learn the basics; they also push their creativity.
Senior David Atkinson said, “Right now, I’m working on a guitar. I also made a pair of metal wings.”
Those wings competed against projects from across the state and came out on top.
“I ended up getting the grand award for my district and then second place in states,” Atkinson said.
Another standout project is a modular home built right inside the school by students. Craig Bryant leads the construction tech class but emphasizes that the students do all the work.
“I’m a consultant; I don’t put a nail in, and I’m proud of that. I teach them how to do the basic building. Sure, I have my hands dirty and I’m hands-on, but beyond that, I give them the prints and they build it,” Bryant explained.
What’s happening at Romeo High School is a model for what’s possible when education and industry come together. Programs like this help students discover passions, gain confidence, and build futures with purpose.
Skilled trade workers are in high demand, and programs like this one build skills and inspire students to follow their own paths.