It’s easy for educators to get caught up in “the numbers” as each new school year begins.
How many students are in this class? How many students have signed up for that course? Yes, numbers are very important. But for Pat Keating, Director of Adult Education with Aiken County Public Schools, he likes to focus on individual outcomes and lives changed.
His department served around 1,200 students during the 2015-16 school year, but the numbers surrounding a successful outcome – a certificate, diploma and GED, and the increased dollars to be earned as a result of a student’s hard work – are what Keating loves to talk about as registration for 2016-17 classes takes place this week.
“Our ultimate goal is to ensure that each of our students are able to have a life-sustaining career,” Keating states. “A lot of people have jobs, and they are struggling. There are no guarantees that job will be there tomorrow, next week or next year. But a life-sustaining career is one in which you utilize a particular skill set because there is a need for you and your skill set. You have things like benefits and insurance and things many people don’t think about when they are just trying to keep their heads above water.
“One young man I have been particularly proud of came to us with no education, he had been in and out of trouble for a long time and he had no future. But he went through a Youth Challenge program we offer through a partnership with the National Guard, and earned his GED and a Gold WorkKeys certificate. He’s now enrolled in a post-graduate welding program at Aiken Technical College and when he completes that program he will start out making around $28 an hour. That’s a life change right there, and we see these stories all the time.”
Now is a great time to make continuing education a priority.
Aiken County’s Adult Education Program offers free, no cost opportunities for adults to learn in a nurturing environment and with flexible morning, afternoon and evening hours at a number of convenient locations. Registration for GED and high school diploma completion begins today.
Aiken County Public Schools invites all adult students to register and return to learn at a location and time most convenient to their schedule. Free childcare is also available to parents through Freedman Parenting Center (with required parenting classes).
In addition to those classes, Adult Education also offers WorkKeys classes, basic education for adults with limited reading, writing, spelling and math skills, and classes to international students learning English as a second language (ESL), all at no charge.
“One of our jobs, with the help of some tremendous partnerships, is also to assist our students with what comes next for them,” Keating added. “Once they have earned that credential, diploma or certificate, we assist in their transition to the next level, whether that be right into the work world, the military or post-secondary training or college classes. We take care of the initial educational component, but we also have those people in place to help our students continue on to reach their next goal and be successful.”
These additional programs are offered throughout the year with registration open.
“We are really excited about this school year,” Keating stated. “We had a historic year (in 2015-16), and our goal for this year is to continue to serve the community to the best of our ability. And the good thing about Adult Education is that we’re not just serving the students in front of us, but we are serving those family units as well and helping to change lives.”
For information, please call (803) 663-4920, or visit the Adult Education page online at https://www.acpsd.net/AdultEd.
2016-17 ADULT EDUCATION FALL REGISTRATION
Register through Aug. 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for morning classes at Byrd Learning Center or Wagener-Salley High School.
Enroll in afternoon classes at Goodwill Job Connection from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Through Aug. 25.
Evening classes are being offered at Byrd Learning Center with registration taking place through Aug. 23 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., or in North Augusta at Second Providence Baptist Church Aug. 23 and 25 (Tuesday and Thursday), also between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church offers open enrollment any Tuesday or Thursday evening at 5:00 p.m.
Link to District News Release: 2016-17 PR ADULT ED FALL REGISTRATION