HARRISONBURG, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – Massanutten Technical Center is going further into uncharted territory as more and more local teens are showing interest in well-paying trade careers right out of high school.

The vocational high school held its graduation commencement Wednesday night at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

Prior to the school’s commencement ceremony yesterday, MTC Director Kevin Hutton told Rocktown Now’s Frank Wilt during a remote broadcast that it had never graduated 400 students in a single year – until now.

“We had 379 high school students from our 21 programs, 21 practical nursing students getting ready to earn their LPN (Licensed Practical Nursing degree), and it’s the highest we’ve ever had in the 52-year history of MTC,” Hutton said. “This is the highest graduating class we’ve had. And we had 1,244 applicants for next year – that’s the highest applicant pool we’ve ever had.”

Harrisonburg City Public Schools Dr. Michael Richards also shared some news ahead of the ceremony. According to Richards, the connection between Massanutten Technical Center and local students is stronger than ever.

“We have a record number of students now at MTC from Harrisonburg City, and that’s partly because we value it – we show that we value it,” Richards said. “You know, if we show that we value those trades and we value those educational experiences, then more and more kids are going to try to go for that. And we’re very happy about that.”

He added that MTC provides students working toward a trade career with unique knowledge, like business and team-building skills, that students on a college prep pathway may not have right away.

Hutton added that for the first time in its history, the school is also preparing for extensive upgrades and expansions. He expects those renovations to be completed within the next three years.