HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Seventy-four students at Henrico's Advanced Career Education Center put pen to paper Wednesday for a signing day celebrating their commitments to various career paths.
The school division's signing day recognizes students pursuing employment in trades like cosmetology, machining, engineering, and public safety through the career and technical education program.
Mac Beaton is the HCPS director of workforce and career development.
"By graduating with a clear career path and specialized careers you have proven that you are life-ready," Beaton said.
Since 2018, the county has made an effort to recognize students who find a different path besides enrolling in college or enlisting in the military. In many cases, these students begin their careers with insurance, 401(k) retirement plans, and opportunities for their respective companies to pay for post-secondary education.
"For us to celebrate this, this brings value to the education that the CTE world is offering these kids," Beaton said.
Hermitage High School senior Isaiah Johnson joined two other students who have already begun training to be future firefighters for Henrico County.
"I’ve bounced around a couple of careers in my mind that I’ve wanted to do, but when I found fire fighting, I knew I was definitely locked in on this one," Johnson said.
Terrance Burroughs is the HCPS teacher of record for the fire science program.
"We’re proud of them to see them actually grow and now actually use what they’ve learned in the real world to apply in their daily lives," Burroughs said.
"We debate in education all the time why we are doing this, but our kids in the CTE world get to figure it out early and follow that passion. And today is a chance to see it all come alive for those young people," Beaton said. "Our goal should be for every student to find what they love doing, what they’re good at, and what someone’s going to pay them for, and if you can make those three things intersect, you’ve found that perfect career."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
