Southeastern Community College announces inaugural ‘Careers on Wheels’

WHITEVILLE, NC (WWAY) — Southeastern Community College in collaboration with Columbus County Schools will showcase local technical, public safety and healthcare career opportunities as its first ever Careers on Wheels event.

The event will take place on March 23 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

More than 3,400 Columbus County students ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade will get hands-on exposure to career fields involving vehicles, technical equipment and mobile technology.

There will be three groups each getting a 90-minute session. The first group will consist of kindergarten through second graders. Then third through fifth grade students will take their turn. Sixth through eighth graders will end out the event.

“If they know they have something to look forward to, they’ll work hard to get there,” said Dr. Heather Pigott, CCS’s Director of Student Services. “This event will show that there is life outside of Columbus County Schools as far as expanding your mind, putting things into action and making it more tangible and real. This gives them opportunities to say, ‘I can,’ and that crosswalks back into their everyday activities in their educational process.” 

For many Columbus County Schools students, Careers on Wheels will be their first time stepping foot on SCC’s campus.

“Our programs are always expanding, and it just makes sense to have these students on campus with our industry partners,” said Angie Ransom, Associate Vice President of Education and Training. “With industry partner input, we are constantly shaping our programing based on their needs for employees. Our industry partners say they want earlier access to students because by the time they graduate, it’s too late.”