Over 1,200 Eighth-Grade Students Explore Career Opportunities at the LCNC Career Showcase

On Thursday, November 7, close to 1,300 eighth-grade students from Laurens and Newberry counties gathered at the Piedmont Technical College (PTC) Newberry campus for the fifth annual Laurens & Newberry Counties Career Showcase (LCNC Showcase). The event provided students with a unique opportunity to explore diverse career paths through hands-on interactions with representatives from more than twenty-two local companies and organizations.

The LCNC Career Showcase, an initiative designed to expose students to career options in the region’s major employment sectors, is a collaboration between over twelve regional entities. The event alternates annually between Laurens and Newberry counties, and this year marked the third time the Showcase was hosted in Newberry.

“The LCNC Career Showcase is more than just an event—it’s a vital tool for shaping the future of our workforce,” said Shelby Dominick Reed, Regional Workforce Advisor, Upper Savannah Region of SC DEW. “By engaging eighth graders early on, we’re encouraging them to make informed decisions about their career paths and skills development while still in middle school,“ added Dabs Davis, Regional Career Specialist, South Carolina Department of Education.

The event aims to build a stronger local talent pipeline by giving students the opportunity to interact with industry professionals, explore different fields, and learn about the skills required to succeed in today’s job market. The hope is that this exposure will inspire students to make educated career pathway decisions, guiding them toward focused academic and extracurricular activities that will prepare them for a successful future.

The 2024 LCNC Career Showcase featured companies from a variety of sectors covering the sixteen career clusters, including healthcare, technology, manufacturing, education, and more. As part of their experience, students gained insight into the qualifications and training needed for different careers, as well as potential job opportunities in their community.

“This event highlights the importance of collaboration and community partnerships,” said Whitney Lagrange, Marketing Director for Laurens County Development Corporation. “It’s exciting to see how organizations across Laurens and Newberry Counties come together to provide students with the tools they need to succeed.”

The LCNC Career Showcase continues to play a critical role in helping students develop career awareness and a sense of direction for their academic futures, with the goal of nurturing a highly skilled and competitive workforce for the region.

QUOTES

“The LCNC Career Showcase provided an incredible opportunity for our team to connect with over 1,000 local students, introducing them to the diverse career paths and tasks within the water and sewer industry. Many students were unaware of the opportunities available, and we were excited to inspire and plant seeds that could grow into our future workforce.”

–Mary-Wallace Riley, Laurens County Water & Sewer Commission (LCWSC)

“The Laurens and Newberry Counties 8th Grade Showcase is such a meaningful event that helps educate our students on available careers right here in our community. There’s so much value in business representatives actively engaging students and being able to gauge the climate of our current student population.”
-Jennifer Moore, Newberry County Schools Career Specialist, GCDF

About the LCNC Career Showcase

The LCNC Career Showcase is an annual event that aims to expose eighth-grade students from Laurens and Newberry counties to career opportunities within the region’s key industries. The Showcase is the result of a collaboration between local schools, businesses, and community organizations, with the shared goal of preparing the next generation of leaders and workers for the workforce of tomorrow.

For more information, a list of participating companies, collaborative partners, resources, and photos from the event, please visit www.lcncshowcase.com.