CHOCOLAY TOWNSHIP — Students from the Midwest Skills Development Center in the electric line school were helping a Marquette County community Wednesday morning.

Five students relocated street lights at Lions Field in Chocolay Township. The township is building a new ice rink and wanted the lights to be closer to rink’s location. It is one of the many projects the MSCD participates in to give students hands-on experience.

“It gives us good publicity for the community and for the school and it helps out all the way around,” MSDC instructor Jim Morgan said. “We try to do little projects for the community and help out. It gives them (the students) some hands-on experience of what their job could really be like.”

The students dug new holes for the light poles using an auger than can drill twelve feet into the ground. All of the equipment used for the project are things the students will eventually use in their careers.

“(Students will be) setting poles, they’ll be using the digger truck, also (students will be) climbing the poles, hooking up the street lights, stringing the wire…things like that,” Morgan said. “I really enjoy helping out the kids and (things like this) will help them get into a good career. It’s a great career for someone who likes the outdoors.”

Relocating the light poles was a fast project; it was expected to be finished by Wednesday afternoon.