Career and technology education opens doors for all CCSD Students

A recent Talent Demand Study presented to the Charleston County School District (CCSD) Board of Trustees showed that strong job growth is making it increasingly harder to fill open positions from either the existing workforce or new local graduates. In the next five years, our region will create more than 26,000 jobs, according to the Talent Demand Study.

To address and help fill those positions, Richard Gordon, Executive Director of Career and Technology Education with CCSD, worked with education, community, industry, and advisory committees to craft career clusters at the new North Charleston (opens in 2020) and West Ashley (opens in 2021) Centers for Advanced Studies.

When outlined, they paint a picture of the college and career ready CCSD graduate. Currently, each high school offers a variety of CTE programs and coursework, including the district-wide Garrett Academy of Technology. Many of those successful programs will transition to the Centers for Advanced Studies so that both students and educators can seamlessly provide educational experiences without skipping a beat.

As Garrett consolidates with the CAS, students will continue to receive high quality academic, career, and employability training.

Programs of study in both Centers will include high-demand and high-wage career clusters that will provide CCSD students with a competitive advantage. They include Architecture and Construction, Advanced Manufacturing, Transportation, Distribution and Logistics, Information Technology, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, Media Technology, and Health Science Technology.

These fields allow for the graduate to go straight into their chosen industry with the ability to earn a living wage. Taking it a step further, interested students can work towards valuable industry certificates, associates, and even bachelor’s degrees while making a living.