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More than 160 certifications earned – high school summer campers gain work experience in technical and healthcare fields
After five weeks of classes, 80 students earned certificates from the High School Summer Camps program at Southeastern Community College. Simulating a real-world workday in the technical and healthcare industries, campers got a taste of working in their career fields while gaining industry-recognized credentials. More than 160 certifications were earned.
The camp, in partnership with Columbus County Schools and Whiteville City Schools, saw students explore careers in electrical engineering, healthcare, welding, agribusiness, automotive, construction and Emergency Medical Responder. Campers received 20 days of instruction and followed an 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. schedule.
Campers received participation certificates at a 3 p.m. ceremony on July 29 in the SCC auditorium. Each camp program instructor awarded student superlative certificates in recognition of the best performance or most improved in class.
Chaplain Jeremy Simmons of Columbus Regional Healthcare System was the keynote speaker for the certificate ceremony. He challenged the students to weigh the pros and cons of every choice they make.
“There are three things I encourage you to choose today: choose to embrace uncertainty, choose to welcome integrity and finally, choose to make a difference in this world that we live in today,” Simmons said. “Your choices can create a ripple effect of positive impact.”
SCC President Dr. Chris English said the collaboration with CCS and WCS was necessary to create workforce pipelines for students. He explained that with high school juniors and seniors earning credentials early and graduating ready to work, they are filling the workforce gap in Columbus County.
“It was a great day to celebrate our students in our summer camp and to see them walk across that stage,” English said. “The skills and credentials they earned are the foundational building blocks for their future careers. It lets them take that credit they earned and transfer it into a program if they choose to. If not, they walked away with these third-party credentials that make them employable.”
English said the greatest benefit of the summer camp classes is the exposure to a career field. With this exposure, students are gaining experience and learning what they like or dislike about the career field before stepping into a real job. Once a student knows which career is right for them, English said it could lead to apprenticeships for students to “earn while they learn.”
Fall semester registration is open to high school students eager to join the Career and College Promise program and take college classes while in high school. Contact SCC Student Advisor Mariah Strickland at [email protected] or your high school counselor to learn more.
