Published: Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 @ 7:06 pm
By: Stan Deatherage   ( More Entries )
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Press Release

    Beaufort County 5th in the State for Student Certifications

    In a time of great economic uncertainty, Beaufort County Schools is among the best in the state when comes to preparing students to leave high school with more than just a diploma. During the 2010-2011 school year, Beaufort County's Career Technical Education program saw students earn 935 nationally recognized certifications which are readily accepted by employers. According to Christy Harris, Director of Career Technical Education for Beaufort County Schools, "Our Career Technical Education department decided that we were committed to giving our students more, and we thought that investing in credentialing was one way to do that."

    Beaufort County surpassed larger systems with more access to resources such as Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Guilford and Wake counties.

    "This is outstanding news for all involved," Superintendent Don Phipps explained. "We have always been and will always be as equally dedicated to the success of workforce-bound students as we are of those headed to a post-high school education. This tells us an important part of what we are doing is working in so many ways. The community will be a large benefactor of this accomplishment, especially our workforce partners. Most importantly, our students in these programs will leave high school as workforce ready citizens. Congratulations to all involved - staff and students - with our Career Technical Education program for a job well done."

    Through Career Technical Education classes offered in the three traditional high schools, Beaufort County is offering 6 of the 18 certifications that the state recognizes.

Students in trades and industry courses can earn National Center for Construction Education Research (NCCER) and OSHA credentials, while Allied Health II and Nursing Fundamental students can earn Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credentials. Students in business classes can earn a array of Microsoft Office Specialist degrees. Foods II students have the opportunity to leave with restaurant- recognized ServSafe certifications. Students in the internship program and Welding II are able to obtain Career Readiness Certifications (CRC's), which are now required as entry-level position in many businesses including Potash Corp.

    "I'm so proud of the students and teachers who see the value of going beyond. It's not enough anymore to just sit in the classroom and pass the course. Students need to be able to prove they have relevant job skills. These credentials are that proof," Harris pointed out.

    "We have one student, David Rowe, who has obtained the Microsoft Office Specialist Master Certification this semester. This required that he pass an Outlook exam as well as the Expert levels of Word and Excel. What employer wouldn't be impressed with that kind of expertise?" The certification obtained by Rowe surpasses what is required for teachers. When it came to certifying students, being a smaller system did not impact Beaufort County Schools in any negative way. In the Northeast region alone, Beaufort County topped number two, Pitt County Schools by 529 certifications.
Kathy Clark, seen here with her student, Jalen Harper, at Southside High School, is just one of many Career Technical Education instructors across Beaufort County Schools who have invested in their students by supporting their efforts to attain certification in various areas.