(RIVER DELL, NEW JERSEY) - Trade skills training was once a fixture of the American High School experience but faded from most schools over the decades.

Now, at River Dell Regional High School, it's back, and it comes with some perks: High School credit, college credit and a path toward a licensed trade, all before graduation.

River Dell has partnered with the Electrical Training Academy (ETA) to launch a hands-on Electrical Training Program for Juniors and Seniors, the first class of its kind at the school.

Students spend three hours a day learning to strip wire, wire outlets and switches, and build electrical systems from scratch, with their work tested by Instructors.

For River Dell Senior Jonathan Allen, it’s the school experience he always wanted: "Since I was (14) and Eighth Grade, I knew that school wasn't for me. I was never a straight-A student. I always liked working on engines. It makes you want to go to school. It makes me enjoy it a lot more. Every day I don't think about the three classes that I have to sit in, like biology. I think about, I've got ETA today and I'm excited for it.”

Students work through lessons on the Electrical Code Book before putting on tool belts for hands-on instruction, wiring outlets and switches connected to lights and learning how different wiring configurations work.

According to River Dell and ETA, the partnership is the first Related Technical Instruction and On-the-Job Training Apprenticeship pathway approved under U.S. Department of Labor standards to be offered to students while they're still enrolled in high school.

Beyond Trade credentials, students in the program can earn college credit through Thomas Edison State University and a scholarship covering the remainder of an Associate Degree through ETA's partnership with the University.

The program also includes OSHA 30 certification, job placement support, instruction on starting and running a business in New Jersey, an introduction to Data Center operations, and career services such as resume building and video resumes highlighting students' hands-on skills.

To Directly Access This Apprenticeship And Training Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: News 12 | New Jersey | River Dell Students Trade Textbooks For Tool Belts In New Electrical Apprenticeship Program