Columbus state workforce development how to#
Columbus state workforce development professional#

It provides students with all sorts of opportunities and resources that are available not just for students but also for their parents. What is the biggest advantage the school district offers students? That taught me those soft skills that you need to be successful at work, like showing up on time. I was in FBLA – Future Business Leaders of America – in high school, which included a work-study program, where I’d go to school half a day and work the other half. How did your education in Muscogee County Schools prepare you for your career? Kimberly Wright Director of communications Muscogee County School District “This involves purposeful career exploration, which evolves into skill development that equips students to be eligible for immediate employment or to continue to a postsecondary institution before beginning their careers.” “The school district is the first part of the workforce development pipeline, and it plays a significant role in preparing students to be college and career ready,” says Victoria Thomas, director of career, technical and agricultural education for the school district. On the Right Pathwaysįor its part, The Muscogee County School District’s Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) offers programming beginning in elementary school to prepare students for college and local, in-demand careers. Those partnerships have become examples in the region for their efforts to unite multiple STEM disciplines under a common umbrella and to develop strategic outreach efforts with local schools,” Williams says. “The CCSSC’s commitment to its mission and vision is evident in the various camps for K-12 students, including a camp focused on giving students the opportunity to explore and build robots. The Coca-Cola Space Science Center (CCSSC) works to inspire and educate the next generation of scientists, engineers, science educators and communicators through educational programming and camps.

Columbus state workforce development how to#

Students are immersed in topics that range from learning how to become an entomologist to understanding what materials architects use in construction designs.

Columbus state workforce development professional#

The university’s Continuing and Professional Education program – known as Activ8 – also hosts camps to introduce students, from pre-K to eighth grade, to careers in STEM-related fields. The grant helps to fund a summer camp program where students can learn skills that they can apply in their everyday internet use. The university received a 2022 GenCyber grant from the National Security Agency to support its efforts to broaden awareness of cybersecurity careers for female middle school students. One such collaboration is with the Muscogee County district. Williams says he considers Columbus State to be a “communiversity,” which fosters collaborations that spur economic development by anticipating and fulfilling workforce demands. “Our education and nursing students participate in local internships, student teaching and clinicals to gain the knowledge and build the professional relationships they’ll need for a lifetime of success,” Williams says. The Teaching Contract Guarantee initiative with the Muscogee County School District guarantees all graduates of Columbus State’s education program a teaching contract with the school system. The university’s nursing program, for example, is consistently ranked among the top 10 nursing schools in the state. “We create an education infused with hands-on, real-world learning opportunities so our students develop the knowledge, skills and soft skills employers value and communities need.” “We help our students, regardless of their area of study, live up to their creative potential, so that they are well positioned for success in the 21st century workforce,” says Ronald Williams, Columbus State University’s chief of staff.

Muscogee County School District and Columbus State University are key components of workforce development efforts and education in Columbus and the region.Ī public institution offering more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, Columbus State works closely with local schools and the business community to introduce students as early as middle school to in-demand careers and keep skilled talent flowing to the region’s leading industries.