Career, Technical and Agricultural Education

 

MISSION: To educate Georgia’s future workforce by providing experiences for Georgia students that will prepare them for workplace success.

VISION: Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education will provide educational experiences of superior quality and value for students that drive economic prosperity for all.

 

Career, Technical and Agricultural Education programs expose students to career pathways, teach them employability skills, and prepare them to enter the workforce, a university, a technical college, military service, or a registered apprenticeship. CTAE prepares students for careers that are high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand. Georgia offers 17 career clusters, each with multiple career pathways to choose from. 

The hallmarks of CTAE programming are an industry focus and emphasis on technology. These are incorporated into several aspects of the CTAE experience:

  • Career, Technical and Agricultural Education at Pickens County Schools aims to engage students in cutting-edge, grade-appropriate career exploration and preparation opportunities that set them up to excel in postsecondary education and productive careers.
  • The hallmarks of CTAE programming are an industry focus and emphasis on technology. These are incorporated into several aspects of the CTAE experience: Hands-on lab activities and classroom instruction encourage critical thinking, innovation and collaboration
  • Career & Technical Student Organizations like Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), DECA, HOSA, and Skills USA build leadership and community
  • Career related education, including guest speakers, job shadowing, and internships provide authentic experiences for student learning and growth

Students are encouraged to pursue pathway completion, which entails taking a sequence of courses in the same industry cluster. Upon completion of a pathway students are eligible to take an assessment leading to an industry recognized credential or certification (e.g., Certified Nursing Assistant, Microsoft Office Specialist, OSHA Certification). In addition, their participation in co-curricular student organizations, and work-based learning enables them to leave high school with tangible marketable skills and documentation of their capabilities, as well as greater understanding of the college and career paths related to their chosen industry.

Currently, Pickens County Schools offers programming in the following Career Cluster areas:

  • Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
  • Business & Technology
  • Career & Technical Instruction
  • Construction & Industry Fundamentals/ Occupational Safety
  • Culinary Arts
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Engineering Audio, Video & Film
  • Healthcare Science
  • Hospitality & Tourism
  • Information Technology
  • Sports Medicine

 

Pickens High School also offers work-based learning and Youth Apprenticeship Coordination