Evan Watt: Senior will study welding at JCCC then move onto an apprenticeship, hoping to make welding his full-time career

Six months ago, senior Evan Watt had no idea what he wanted to do with his future. Dreading four more years of lectures, essays and exams, Watt ditched his original plan of going to college and becoming a History professor with the hope of pursuing a more hands-on and profitable career.

When his dad suggested welding, Watt decided to go for it. For his second semester of senior year, Watt enrolled in Shawnee Mission West’s welding class, quickly picking up the trade after just two weeks — and he genuinely enjoyed it. 

“You can tell kids that want to do it for a job, and the kids who are doing it for a grade,” Watt said. “I’m one of the kids who are gonna do it for a job, so I take a lot of care and interest in it.”

Watt will attend the welding program at Johnson County Community College before looking for an apprenticeship — the common next step in a welding career — which can take up to eight years to complete. An apprenticeship will allow Watt to fully master the craft of welding and head into the workforce where plenty of welding opportunities await. The options range from industrial jobs like working on ships or bridges to contract welding overseas or even creating and selling art. 

The demand for welders is higher than most think. According to Watt, welders are such a highly sought after job that they can often make up to six figures on their paychecks, leading Watt to his ultimate goal — retiring by the age of 45. 

Of course, the job comes with many risks. Blisters, burns and bruises are all more than common, but it’s nothing that concerns Watt. 

“I’m much more of a hands-on person,” Watt said. “My hands are destroyed 24/7. If I can do that for the rest of my life, I absolutely will.”

Watt finally feels that he’s found his niche, and is confident with his newfound passion, even if that means taking a different route than the college path most of his classmates are doing.

“Maybe college isn’t for you,” Watt said. “If you struggled during high school, sort of like I did, there’s a lot more options than just another four or five-year college. You can go to trade school… and it’s something that isn’t for stupid people. People think trade school is for dumb people. Listen, it’s for the smart people in my opinion. It’s no student debt, high-paying jobs and a lifelong paying job that everybody wants you to do.”