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Best Practices: What’s Happening in the Schools in Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens Counties?
Click on one of the categories below to read more about each program:
Apprenticeship Programs
Cooperative Education Programs
Internships
Academies
PACE School-to-Work Week
Groundhog Job Shadow Day
Duke Technical Career Day
Staff Development for Teachers
Apprenticeship Programs
Anderson School Districts One and Two, in partnership with the Career and Technology Center in Williamston, have one of the best youth apprenticeship programs in the state. This program was recently made available to students throughout Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties. Students begin a youth apprenticeship program in high school and continue through completion of a two-year associate degree. After completing this multi-year program of classroom and workplace instruction, youth apprentices are often placed into full-time employment by age 19 or 20 with beginning salaries in the mid twenties or more! In addition, youth apprentices have numerous options available should they wish to continue their education and earn a four-year degree.
Cooperative Education Programs
Students at the Fred P. Hamilton Career Center, B. J. Skelton Career Center, the Hanna Westside Extension Campus, and the Career and Technology Center have the option to participate in cooperative education programs which combine classroom instruction and paid work experience related to their chosen occupational program. A training program is developed by the business and the career center to facilitate the learning process. Many students continue their cooperative education positions as they transition into technical programs of study at Tri-County Technical College. Students work with a School-to-Work coordinator at the high school level and the director of cooperative education at the college level to ensure that the high school experience blends smoothly into college.
Internships
Students at all high schools in the PACE consortium have the opportunity to participate in internship programs to learn more about their chosen careers. For example, health occupations students spend time in area hospitals, doctors offices and nursing homes to gain first-hand knowledge and experience in healthcare careers and to be better prepared for postsecondary education. Additionally, students who participate in Service Learning classes at many high schools take part in an Internship component related to their service activity.
Academies
Academies are available for many students in Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties who are interested in pursuing careers in financial management, manufacturing, or health care.
The Academy of Finance is a program of high school and college course work and work-based learning designed to introduce high school students to the broad range of career opportunities in the financial services. The academy equips students with the business skills and knowledge needed for our global marketplace. Academy students join thousands of other high school students throughout the country in exploring the financial services area. Students gain firsthand experience in the world of finance, earn college credit, and receive a Certificate of Financial Studies for completing the program.
The Academy of Health and Medical Science Technology provides the student with knowledge and training in courses such as medical terminology, first aid, anatomy, physiology, and other subjects that are common to all areas of postsecondary health careers. The academy is designed to prepare students for entry level employment, technical college, or for those students planning to pursue a college degree in any medical profession, i.e. physician, nutritionist, physical therapist, registered nurse, respiratory therapist, etc. Each student is placed in a variety of situations in the community to interact with medical professionals in their chosen area during their senior year.
PACE School-to-Work Week
To heighten awareness and appreciation of School-to-Work, schools in Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties celebrate School-to-Work Week annually during the late winter. During this week, a number of activities and events are planned for students, employers, and the community, including business speakers in the schools, recognition of students who participate in School-to-Work, business appreciation events, daily distribution of career information and success tips for teachers to use in the classroom during the week, and students’ shadowing on Groundhog Job Shadow Day.
Groundhog Job Shadow Day
Groundhog Job Shadow Day, a nationwide School-to-Work initiative for the last few years, takes place on February 2. Many schools in Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties participate in Job Shadow Day, allowing students to shadow in the workplace and giving them firsthand knowledge of potential careers and job skills that are necessary for success.
Click on the following website to learn more about the National Groundhog Job Shadowing Day initiative: http://www.jobshadow.org
Duke Technical Career Day
As part of the Duke Energy High School Initiative, the purpose of Duke Technical Career Day is to introduce students to specific careers at Duke Energy. Each winter, teams of students from career centers and comprehensive high schools in Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties are challenged to solve a technical problem. Student teams spend months working on the project. On the day of the competition, each team's project is judged according to a number of criteria. An expert panel of judges awards prizes to teams demonstrating excellence in diverse areas like technical work, communication, teamwork, and creativity. Examples of projects that have been produced for Duke Technical Career Day include LEGO robots, a pneumatic soda-can crusher, and an electronic device that automatically waters house plants.
Funded by a grant from the Duke Energy Corporation, Duke Technical Career Day is coordinated by Tri-County Technical College's Office of Job Placement and Cooperative Education.
Staff Development for Teachers and Counselors
Educators are offered opportunities for staff development throughout the school year through the PACE Tech Prep/School-to-Work Consortium office. These include workshops and conferences on topics such as curriculum integration, learning styles, industry needs and trends, as well as graduate level courses through Clemson University on brain research, applied curriculum training, strategies in career development, using technology and the Internet in the classroom, and technical and industrial career opportunities for men and women in the Tri-County area. | 
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