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Eighteen different agencies, businesses, and industries agreed to participate in a Career Fair during the South Georgia Technical College JET TECH Stem Camp event. The Career Services engagement was designed to allow individuals to showcase their areas of expertise and career opportunities to area high school students participating in the camp.

Over 60 rising tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students as well as recent graduates from 10 different counties participated in the South Georgia Technical College Summer Bridge STEM camp to learn more about the educational and career opportunities available in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. SGTC and Chattahoochee Flint RESA partnered to host the event with grant funding.

The Jet Tech Stem Camp kicked off on Sunday, June 8^th and ended at noon on Friday, June 13^th.  The campers took advantage of the free six day, five-night camp that allowed students to enjoy the “complete college experience” while learning more about STEM type careers.

The students were exposed to many of the over 200 programs of study on the SGTC campus including aviation maintenance, avionics, aircraft structural, medical and nursing programs, culinary arts, electrical construction, welding and joining, automotive repair and auto collision and repair, high performance engines, diesel technology, electrical lineworker, criminal justice, drafting, precision machining and manufacturing, biology, mathematics, air conditioning technology, sports and fitness, cosmetology, barbering, cybersecurity, horticulture, electronics, and more.

Students enjoyed a wide array of activities each day under the supervision of SGTC and Chattahoochee Flint RESA administrators, faculty, and staff.  The career fair event was part of the week-long activities and students were allowed to engage with local business and industries.

The participants in the Career Engagement invited to meet with the campers included:  SGTC’s Brenda Boone, Accounting instructor; SGTC Business Technology instructor Sharon Smith; SGTC Certified Nursing Instructor Janice Wiseman; Horticulture instructor Brandon Gross, LEA/Criminal Justice Instructors Joshua Blake and Teresa McCook, Marketing Management Instructor Mary Cross, Paul Farr and Tami Blount of the Electrical Lineworker Program, and WIOA Coordinator Sandhya Muljibhai were on hand along with Charlene Pennymon from Citizens Bank of Americus, Stefanie Brown and Terra Cochran from the Department of Community Supervision, Danielle Walls-Rouse of Harris American Company, Chief Eric Finch from the Montezuma Police Department, Ryan Young from Parkers Heating and Air, Gennie Giles of Phoebe Medical Center, Jesse Peabody of Pratt & Whitney, Sheriff Bryant of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and Robert Blount of Albany Air Conditioning.

Students learned more about the career opportunities and career paths, internship offerings, and day to day tasks of each area.

The Georgia Department of Highway Safety was also on hand to demonstrate crash simulations and the importance of seat belt use. Jamie Guined of Blue Origins, a SGTC graduate, talked with students about aviation and rockets and Christie Walton, Miss Florida UNM, talked with students about STEM careers utilizing biology.