Students engage at Stanly ACE event

Published 8:40 am Thursday, March 5, 2020

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Students and parents attended the Stanly Academic Career Exploration (ACE) event at the Stanly Commons Feb. 18, where more than 40 local businesses and organizations and more than 30 career and technical education training programs shared hands-on experiences in an interactive event.

The Stanly ACE event reaches out to Stanly County middle and high school students and families by providing an atmosphere where students can discover their passions through educational pathways and by meeting employers who offer jobs in those chosen fields.

Stanly Community College offers Career and College Promise (CCP) pathways to high school students who qualify. More specifically, 27 career and technical pathways, and three additional paths that align with university transfer, help to foster students’ passion before high school graduation. These are free college courses offered to students while they are still in high school. Additionally, all 27 programs were highlighted during the event.

“On behalf of the Stanly ACE committee, I would like to thank everyone who helped make this event a success. Your hard work and commitment to education for our youth in Stanly County is changing the way students view their future career paths,” said Jeff Parsons, chairman, Stanly ACE Committee, and SCC’s associate vice president, school of advanced manufacturing, industry, technology and trades.

The mission of Stanly ACE was to provide a better understanding of the workforce trends in Stanly County and the region. Dozens of businesses and educational resources were on hand to assist students, parents and community members with questions and opportunities on future career choices in Stanly County.

The Stanly ACE committee is comprised of local organizations that include Stanly County Schools, Stanly Community College, Stanly County Chamber of Commerce, Centralina Workforce Development Board, NC Works and the Stanly County Economic Development Commission.