Photo submitted to the Times Observer Nathan Ciprich and Detrick Little, Warren County Career Center graduates, are pictured after signing Letters of Intent to work at Ellwood National Crankshaft - ENCII in Irvine.

High school athletes who recently signed Letters of Intent to play sports in college have to wait until at least later this summer to put on their new uniforms.

That isn’t the case for Nathan Ciprich and Detrick Little, a pair of Warren County Career Center students who signed their own Letters of Intent last week to start careers at ELLWOOD National Crankshaft – ENCII in Irvine.

Ciprich and Little recently graduated from the Warren County Career Center’s Machining program into full-time roles. Their high school experience included roles as student co-op participants, with those roles turning into full-time jobs less than two weeks after their high school graduation.

Nathan has accepted a position as a CNC machinist while Detrick will begin his new role as a heat treat operator (Nitride).

“I would say probably being able to actually like run it by myself and being able to use the crane,” he said. “CNC always interested me. And so when I got the opportunity to run these ones, it was like a whole new level – because of just how big and how much goes into one part, you don’t realize.”

The Signing Day event included remarks from ELLWOOD leadership, a recognition ceremony, an opportunity to celebrate these students’ achievements with family, friends, and ELLWOOD team members, and the chance for friends and family to tour the Ellwood National Crankshaft plant where the two graduates will be working.

“It seems like a place that’s going to be in business for a really long time,” Little said. “It seems like a really stable job,” he said. “So it gave me an opportunity to start a foundation and build something for myself.”

The Cooperative Education Program or Capstone Program is a structured method of instruction combining school-based classroom learning with productive work-based learning, matching the student-learner’s academic and career objectives.

Eligible seniors may participate in the Cooperative Education Program, which is a paid work experience. In some cases, qualified juniors may be considered for participation during the final marking period of their junior year. To be released from school, the student must work a minimum of 15 hours during the school week in a position related to the student’s career objective.

Warren County Career Center programs are monitored by a certified Cooperative Education Instructor who ensures that the students and employers are following the guidelines of the program. For additional information on work experience opportunities, contact Bob Smith, Warren County Career Center, 347 E. Fifth Ave., Warren, PA 16365, or call 814-726-1260.