From culinary to health sciences to manufacturing schools are partnering with
local community colleges to give high school students credentials and college
credits to help them move into the workforce after they graduate high school.
In Anson County, the schools partner with South Piedmont Community
College while Scotland County partners with Richmond Community college to
bring certified teachers and professions in to teach the high school students.
“A lot of times at that age they’ll say things
like-I want to be a professional athlete,”
McRae said. “So they’re asked what other
jobs in the sports field would they be
interested in because what if they got to
their senior year and got hurt and couldn’t
play what else would they be interested in
things like coaching or management.”
The school system works with various
entities to help work with students and to
help prepare them for specific jobs in the
area.
The EMT program partners with the
Scotland Memorial Foundation, which
has helped with acquiring and updating
an ambulance to use for the instruction.
While the drone program partnered with
the ëTis the Season organization during
its Christmas season activities held in
downtown Laurinburg.
“We’re always working with our economic
development to learn what the needs in our
area are,” McRae said. “This helps us prepare
our students for the jobs that are available
now. Many times the complaints are that
these businesses and corporations in the
area have these jobs, but there’s no one with
the skills to fill them.”
McRae said students who go through the
program are highly marketable because
they’re coming out with the skills and
certifications needed and with one student
he even got a job through the school system
because of the CTE program.
“One of our students was recently hired by
our technology department,” McRae said.
actually something they want to continue
doing and to explore other areas that
interest them.
Next year, Scotland County plans on adding
computer science and fire fighting programs
and continue working with students and
the community to find out what skills are
It also provides them with important
career indicators like what type of educational
background they will need, skills that need to
be developed, and hands-on experience through
Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities, such
as job shadowing and internships...
Steve Dutton
“He served as an intern in our Genius Bar.
In the Genius Bar, students learn to fix
Chromebooks and resolve network issues.
This experience turned into a part-time
summer job, which led to him being hired
full-time after graduation. He is continuing
his education at RCC while working.”
These programs also offer the students
a look into the careers to find out if it’s
needed and where interests lie to continue
building the program.
In nearby Anson County, the schools
are looking to expand the programs
with computer science to include more
programming as well as expanding in
the trades with an electrical pathway and
plumbing.
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