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Students get a taste of potential careers
Students try on first responder helmets during Tuesday’s career showcase at Piedmont Technical College.
Trying on SWAT vests, doing genetics experiments, interacting with robots — all in a day’s work for middle and high schoolers.
Piedmont Technical College had its second career showcase for students in the Lakelands on Tuesday, exposing them to a variety of future careers.
Tyler Bafford, an eighth grader at Merriwether Middle School, said he is looking into welding as his career.
“I know they pay pretty good and it just seems like something I would enjoy when I get older,” Bafford said. He was also interested in seeing what law enforcement had to offer.
Vincent Li, an eighth grader at Saluda Middle, said he is still deciding what he wants to do when he gets out of school, but said the showcase was a good way to show off careers to students like him.
“It might interest them and inspire them and they’ll get interested and take the classes and become one of them,” he said.
Classmate Kennedy Moore, who is interested in sports medicine, agreed.
“It helps you get more of an understanding,” she said.
“Instead of a teacher teaching you about it, somebody that specializes in it can tell you about it.”
Christina Knight, dean of engineering and industrial technology at Piedmont Tech, said the hope is to plant a seed for students to see what Piedmont Tech has to offer so they might choose to come to the school when they graduate.
“And if not, at least they’ll have some idea what they want to do when they graduate,” she said.
Each kid has a different interest, she said. Some have loved the 3D printer she was using to print small robots, some are interested in agriculture and horticulture. A robotic dog was also popular with students.
Ware Shoals High School student Destin Lewis was checking out the SWAT team display when asked what his future profession might be.
“My career of interest is probably the fire service or law enforcement or something like that,” he said, adding he looks up to first responders.
“I think (the showcase) will give us more information on the careers that we choose to do or help us explore more careers,” he said.