Laurens & Newberry Counties Career Showcase Highlights Local Opportunities for Eighth Graders
November 13, 2023
On Wednesday, November 8th, the Laurens and Newberry Counties (LCNC) Career Showcase was held at the Piedmont Technical College (PTC) Center for Advanced Manufacturing in Laurens.
Over 1,200 eighth grade students from Laurens, Newberry, and Union Counties were able to interact and discuss career paths with representatives from over 20 companies and organizations. The goal of the LCNC Career Showcase is to expose eighth graders from all school districts to various career opportunities within our region’s major employment sectors.
“It’s good to see kids get excited about different careers. We had over a thousand students come by our tent, asking important questions about law enforcement. We are grateful for the invitation to participate, and we hope these students will remember us in the future when making decisions about their career paths.” –Chief Deputy Chris Martin, Laurens County Sheriff’s Office
Along with exploring all the exciting careers our counties have to offer, another highlight of the day was having an Apache AH-64E Attack Helicopter on display for the event. We are grateful to the South Carolina Army National Guard, B Company, 1-151 Aviation Battalion, not only for flying in the helicopter, but interacting with students and educating them about opportunities in service.
“The LCNC Career Showcase is great exposure for our industry. Asphalt paving is not always at the forefront of construction, and speaking with students at an early age lets them know about many various construction industries.” –Tara Alexander, Satterfield Construction
With over twelve entities involved in planning this Showcase, collaboration and partnerships are the driving forces behind this event. Each year the location alternates between the two counties’ PTC campuses, this year being the fourth Showcase and second time in Laurens.
“Laurens Commission of Public Works (LCPW) was pleased to participate in the career showcase and expose students to our community’s public utility services. We enjoyed talking with over 1,000 students about our area’s infrastructure and the career roles that our employees fill. Our goal is to offer exciting career opportunities and encourage students to explore and pursue fulfilling careers in their hometown.” -Blake Davis, Administrative Director, LCPW
Building a strong talent pipeline in our community means preparing our students early. The hope is that eighth graders begin making career pathway decisions now, so they can focus on valuable skill sets in high school, graduating as marketable and successful candidates for future careers.
For more information, a list of participating companies, collaborative partners, resources, and photos from the event, please visit www.lcncshowcase.com.
