It is called Career and Technical Education (CTE), and it’s an effort to get schools and educators more involved with the business community. It’s a meaningful relationship that creates a synergy between school students and businesses that eventually need and depend on them.
Local businesses and district organizers met Thursday, Feb. 27, inside the media center at Stratford High School in Goose Creek to once again share ideas on how to better prepare students for the local work environment.
“During these events, we solicit advice from our community and business partners on our programs,” said Lori Cox, the CTE Coordinator for Berkeley County School District. “We like to get their ideas on what skills they want these kids to have when they graduate. They will come into the school, and they will recruit students, and then they will offer a paid training for them to come get trained and give them a very high wage job.”
It’s a collaboration to ensure career readiness for the students in Berkeley County. Both sides are willing participants. Various jobs are being offered in the Lowcountry, and the businesses involved in the CTE program span many fields of study. Manufacturing, healthcare, engineering, computer science, sports medicine and culinary arts are all included. Hiring managers go to the meetings to give some insight into what they are looking for, and from there, the district does its best to mold young minds with a business-friendly curriculum.
“We want to open doors for students who could possibly have apprenticeships and other things while they are still in high school with the business,” said Dr. Susan Gehlmann, chief academic and innovation officer for the district. “We want the businesses to tell us what they expect from the incoming employees.”
At the meeting, the business partners toured the school to see how the students were being taught to work in different fields. They were encouraged to ask teachers questions and provide input while visiting the classes.