Career and Technology Education
The Career and Technology Education Program affords the students in the District an opportunity to be prepared for the 21st century workforce. Our society has changed from an agricultural economy to one that is technology driven. While 20% of the jobs in the future will require a four-year college degree, 65% of the jobs will require a two-year or associate degree. The courses offered in career and technology education prepare the students to continue their education, either a two-year or four-year degree, or to enter the workforce upon graduation. Career and technology education courses also allow the students an opportunity to explore a career area which may interest them.
High school students also have an opportunity to experience the workplace firsthand. Many of the students participate in work-based activities such as internships and cooperative education. These students attend class as well as work in an area business related to the course of study. This allows the student to experience the workplace and to build a relationship with a business mentor. Students are able to develop their skills, both technical skills as well as interpersonal skills.
Many of the courses offered at the Career Centers in the District are dual credit courses. In these courses, students receive not only high school credit but also college credit from Greenville Technical College. These courses are offered at no expense to the student. Depending on the program area, students may leave high school with as many as 24 college hours from Greenville Technical College. In some cases, this may mean the student lacks very few courses before the associate degree is completed. The dual credit courses give the students a head start on their college education and saves the student money on tuition and books.
The middle schools students begin their exposure to the career and technology education courses through keyboarding, family and consumer sciences, and industrial technology education. Many of these students continue their pursuit of these courses during their high school years. Through shadowing opportunities at the middle school level, students learn about the workplace firsthand. The shadowing experience allows the student to shadow a worker for a half-day to learn about the duties and skills needed in the workplace.
As the workforce has changed from manual driven operations based on assembly line methods to production systems that are technology driven, it is important that we prepare our students for the changing workplace. The courses in Career and Technology Education are changing with the times in order to provide students with the credentials and preparation to be successful in the workplace and postsecondary education.
Personal Pathways to Success
The South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA) requires school districts to develop a curriculum organized around the career cluster system. In the organization of the district curriculum around the career cluster system, the district divided the 16 career clusters into five schools of study. Under each school of study a student will find related career clusters. Under each career cluster, the student will find the majors that are offered.
To learn more about the 16 career clusters, visit the State Department of Education site.