Riner hopes welding classes pay off
Editor’s Note: Franklin’s Future is a regular feature spotlighting a high school senior in Franklin County and what they have planned for life after graduation.
The welding trade has long been a popular field of trade for students in northwest Alabama and has recently become even more important with the growing need for trained welders in the region.
Bret Riner
Bret Riner has jumped on board learning all he can to snag a good job after his education comes to an end.
Riner, 18, attended school in Phil Campbell and is a recent graduate of the school.
“I’m just ready to move on to bigger and better things,” he said. “My time here is finished and I’m just ready to get going.”
Riner has been involved with the Northwest-Shoals Community College welding program for the past two years and plans to get his associate’s degree in occupational technology so he can hit the workforce wide open and make money.
“I like it and I’m good at it,” he said. “Making money isn’t everything, but it helps out a lot and if someone gives me the chance to make more money with having this type of degree then I will definitely not turn it down.”
Riner would also like to minor in machinery and get a T.I.G. welding job because he likes that aspect of welding the most.
“Some jobs that I can think of around here that I’m interested in getting are pipefitter type jobs or if I can land a job with TVA that would be nice,” he said. “I also think it would be cool to work on the Canada pipeline or something along those lines.”
Riner said the future for him doesn’t have a blueprint, he says he is just going to pretty much “wing it.”
“I have no idea where I might be in five years,” he said. “I’m just going to wait and see what the future holds for me.”
Riner’s family currently resides in Phil Campbell and he says staying close to home when it comes time to settle down would be nice.
“I’d like to get some land and build a house out in the country where there are wide open spaces,” he said. “If I had to pick a place I’d get a spot between Spruce Pine and Hackleburg.”
Riner said when the money starts rolling in and he can afford to, he would like to travel to Italy someday.
Riner has already thrown his cap towards the sky along with his PCHS 2010 classmates and immediately took a step in the direction of his future goals.
