Gaston County Schools to open new Career Exploration Center

A new career exploration center at the former Forest View Elementary School will serve as an early step in career preparation for Gaston County students, according to Brett Buchanan, the district’s director of Career and Technical Education.

Gaston County Schools has offered a host of Career and Technical Education courses for years now at the high school level, and decided more than a year ago to start working on the center which will be open to grades five-12.

“We’ve found that you can’t wait until high school to get students interested in careers,” said school spokesman Todd Hagans.

Starting in the coming 2024-25 school year, students will have the ability to visit the center as early as fifth grade, and continue working on their pathway or explore other pathways through graduation.

Part of the district’s existing CTE program includes courses available at every high school, from which many students can graduate with a credential in their chosen field if they complete coursework and pass their respective certification test.

Others can earn college credit in their pathway by completing an internship, or just gain knowledge in their desired field before earning a degree at Gaston College through the Career and College Promise program .

Buchanan said the new center also compliments the district’s school choice program.

In the event that the school a child is zoned for does not offer their desired career pathway, they might choose to attend one that does.

The center was inspired by Be Pro Be Proud, an organization that uses virtual reality to allow kids to try out different trades.

The program kept the students more engaged than traditional career exploration methods, and the district began working on a similar idea, Buchanan said.

In the center, up to 90 students at one time will have access to virtual reality simulations of lineman work, welding, and even business and finance occupations.

It also includes a simulator that allows students to see animal or human anatomy from skin to bone, practice driving construction vehicles like cranes and backhoes, and practice providing emergency medical services in an ambulance.

Buchanan said educators tend to think of the education along the way to where a student wants to be first and foremost, however, this program notes that the end goal is a career, and asks what it will take to get there.

Regardless of the pathway a student should choose, the goal is to help them understand what they will need to achieve that goal.

For example, if a student would like to be a doctor, instructors will help them understand the education and pathway they could take to get there, and if a student wanted to go into the trades, instructors could help them understand the certifications or education they might need, Buchanan said.

The district is also working closely with several Gaston County businesses and recruiters to bridge the gap between graduation and career opportunities, he said.

The center was largely funded by state grants and is one of the first sustainable projects to come from that funding, according to Buchanan.

Hagans said the program might be one of a kind in the state at this time.

For Buchanan, the hope is that more districts will follow suit.

“If it’s good for kids here, it can be good for kids anywhere,” he said.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gaston County Schools to open new Career Exploration Center