Trade School
Craftsmen, technicians, contractors, and trade business owners
The Trade School forms craftsmen and technicians who build, maintain, and repair the physical infrastructure of their communities.
A house needs a plumber. A school needs an electrician. A farm needs a welder. Communities that cannot build and maintain their own physical infrastructure are dependent on distant contractors at distant prices — and that dependency is growing. The shortage of skilled tradesmen is not primarily a skills crisis. It is a dignity crisis, the consequence of a generation's worth of cultural messaging that working with one's hands is a second-tier vocation.
The Trade School restores the honor of skilled labor — not as a consolation, but as a calling. The craftsman who knows his trade, knows his community, and chooses to build it is one of the most valuable people in any local economy. A licensed electrician in a small town keeps the school lit, the church warm, and the hospital running. He has also developed something rare: mastery of a physical discipline, the patience of apprenticeship, and a concrete sense of what it means to do a thing well. A tradesman formed in that crucible is equipped for leadership, ownership, and influence at any scale. If God calls him to run a regional firm, train a generation of craftsmen, or build something that changes an industry, he brings character and craft into every project.
There is also a generational dimension. The master tradesman who teaches apprentices does not just transfer skills — he transfers pride of craft, professional ethics, and place-obligation. The Trade School is designed to close that chain: students learned from men who stayed, so they stay and teach the next generation.
Accredited Programs from Partner Universities
Programs available through the CHI catalog. Offered through Hall dual-enrollment at accredited partner universities.
Associate of Applied Science — Technical Studies
Technical program combining general education with specialized trade training. Concentrations in welding, electrical, HVAC, and construction.
Oil and Gas Engineering Technology
Essential for Permian Basin Halls and Texas energy communities. Technical engineering training with direct employment pathways into the regional energy sector.
Welding Certificate
American Welding Society-certified program. One-year credential deployable in construction, manufacturing, and oil and gas sectors.
Construction Management
Construction management for students who want to move from the trades into supervisory or entrepreneurial roles in the construction industry.
Associate of Science — Business
Business foundation for tradesmen moving into shop ownership or trade management. Covers accounting, operations, and small business practice.
Bachelor of Science — Business Administration
Full BS with management and entrepreneurship tracks for tradesmen building businesses, leading crews, or growing regional operations.
Master of Business Administration
MBA for trade business owners and contractors building regional operations or preparing to mentor the next generation of craftsmen.