When Newton College and Career Academy (NCCA) opened last August, Akilah George and Kyle Wright were among the first 240 students to enroll. An innovative education model, the career academy aligns high school education with community economic development goals to better prepare students for the 21st-century workforce.
The concept has been replicated in 26 Georgia communities, thanks to the Georgia Career Academies Project (GCAP), which provides a vital link among high schools, technical colleges or universities and local businesses.
“The key to Georgia’s future economic growth rests squarely on our ability to deliver a highly educated, skilled and motivated workforce,” said Ron Jackson, commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia. Each year, GCAP supports that effort by offering grants to launch new academies.
Newton’s academy is a partnership of the Newton County School System, Georgia Piedmont Technical College, the local Chamber of Commerce and local government organizations. It aims to improve high school graduation rates, connect students with career paths earlier and give them the skills they need to succeed in the workplace or college.
Career academy students attend half-day, taking career-path courses in engineering, manufacturing, health care, agriculture, business, computer science, and others. Many are dual enrolled in Georgia Piedmont Tech (formerly DeKalb Tech), and will graduate with a high school diploma and college credit.
“This seemed like a great opportunity for students who were interested in a certain career field,” said Akilah George, a senior at Alcovy High School interested in law enforcement. She’s taking law enforcement and homeland security courses taught by Georgia Piedmont Technical College instructors.
“Coming to the academy was a great choice, because I’m getting a head start on what I want to do,” she said. She’s earning college credit, meeting high school requirements, going to class with like-minded students and gaining insights from professionals working in the field.
George has applied to Florida A&M University, where she hopes to major in criminal justice and pre-veterinary science to become an animal cruelty investigator.
With a passion for medicine, Kyle Wright decided that taking a certified nursing assistant program could only help him. “Learning medical terminology and getting clinical experience gets my foot in the door of health care,” he said.
A junior at Alcovy High, he plans to intern at a hospital this summer, and he hopes to attend the University of Georgia.
“After college, I’d like to join the Air Force and go to medical school,” said Wright. “Being a doctor feels like what I was meant to do, and the academy is helping me transition from high school to college.” He likes the focus, respect and maturity expected in this learning environment.
James Woodard, principal and CEO of the Newton College and Career Academy, said, “The academy model allows students to take career-related and college-level programs that they wouldn’t normally have access to in their high schools.”
Students can earn a technical college certificate of credit, complete core courses toward a college degree; participate in hands-on internships and clinical experiences and become certified as Georgia Work Ready.
“When you put all that together, that’s a lot of value added to a high school diploma. Our students will graduate with a powerful portfolio of knowledge and skills,” Woodard said.
Temporarily housed in Alcovy High School, the academy soon will move into a new state-of-the-art facility that will hold 800 students. “Our difference is that we’re focusing on programs that lead to high-skill, high-wage and high-demand occupations and teaching them professional and personal skills to help them succeed in a highly competitive market,” Woodard said.
In 12 years, Mark Whitlock has seen more students graduate with the skills to land jobs or go on to college, thanks to the Central Education Center in Coweta County.
“With industries meaner and leaner, using more technology and competing in a global market, they made the case that we needed to do high school education differently in order for students to succeed in a 21st-century workforce,” said Whitlock, CEO of the Central Education Center.
The center gives about 1,000 students a year a jump-start on their career paths, and it has become the model for the Georgia Career Academies Project.
“In 2010, the graduation rate for students who came to the academy was 94.8 percent [compared with 80.5 percent at Newnan High],” said Whitlock. Of those dual enrolled, 95.2 percent earned at least one college certificate, and more than 332 participated in internships at more than 150 local businesses.
“I’m proud that our community helped build this concept and that Lt. Gov. [Casey] Cagle has championed it statewide,” said Whitlock. “Every community is trying to figure out how to attract more business and industry. To do that, you need to create an attractive workforce.”
About the Author
