Students use summer to explore careers

SMITHFIELD — More than 360 students in grades 6-12 took part in the Johnston County Public Schools’ Summer Career Accelerator Program, which wrapped up at the end of July.

Spanning six weeks, the annual program offers real-world learning experiences aligned with workforce needs. Students connect with teachers and local employers to explore career pathways and prepare for the world of work.

This year, students from across Johnston County convened at 14 locations, including schools, chambers of commerce and employer partner sites to engage in hands-on learning. The experiences included career investigation labs, a public safety camp, the entrepreneurial-focused StartUp High and a program that explored math in careers.

These experiences included networking opportunities with employers and skills training to support students’ readiness for life after graduation. In partnership with Johnston Community College, the school district provided scholarships for students to attend JCC summer camps that offered exposure to careers in the culinary arts, robotics and biotechnology.

In addition to summer camps, students in grades 11-12 took part in JoCo Works Now summer internships. Participating employers included the Clayton Chamber of Commerce, Joao’s List, KS Bank, Restor3D, CommWell Health, Gentiva Hospice, AdVenture Development, UNC Health Johnston, YMCA Camp Kanata, Benchmark Physical Therapy and JCC.

“Internships allow our students to immerse themselves in the workforce, deepening their understanding of the career-specific knowledge and skills while their post-secondary plans take shape,” said Kathryn Farrior, a workforce development specialist with the Johnston County schools.

Reno Palombit is the school district’s director of career and technical education. “We have received tremendous feedback from students, parents, educators and partnering organizations regarding our summer career accelerator programs,” he said. “When possible, we have used grant funds to provide meals and transportation to remove barriers to participation. And it is all made possible with the support of our community employers and workforce partners.”

The schools offer a career readiness program but understand the value of partnering with organizations and employers with the same goal, Palombit said. “We cannot prepare students for careers alone,” he said. “We rely on community-minded employers who are willing to work with us to provide relevant and rigorous experiential learning opportunities.”

To learn more about career development and career and technical education in the Johnston County schools, go to cteinjoco.info .

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