The Aiken County Public School District premiered three commercial spots and signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday to support its Aiken Works initiative.
The commercials will air on local and cable television stations, and the memorandum is with the Lower Savannah Council of Governments. The purpose of both is to ensure that Aiken County students are ready for the local workforce and succeed after graduation from high school.
The Aiken Works initiative, which the district launched in January, “aims to promote increased awareness and education about future workforce needs; broaden the traditional definition of postsecondary success, to include military service, technical school and a viable career with opportunity for advancement and continued education; and increase opportunities for students to engage in work-based learning in order to ensure that all students graduate with both a diploma and an employable skill set,” according to a news release from the district.
The three commercials, produced through a partnership with WJBF-TV, feature Aiken County Public Schools’ students talking about industrial manufacturing, careers in health care and employable skills.
The commercials are a visible way to achieve one of Aiken Works’ goals: broadcasting information to students and, especially, parents that multiple avenues – some post-secondary education but not always a four-year college degree – exist to achieve success after high school graduation.
“The messaging is simple and clear, and that’s what we want,” District Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford said after the commercials’ premiere. “We want parents and students to understand that there are myths. We don’t want them to be caught up in incorrect information. We want to tell them the truth in an entertaining way. I think we accomplished that.”
Concerning the memorandum of understanding with the Lower Savannah Council of Governments, Alford said the goal of the district and the council goal is to increase employment opportunities for Aiken County Public Schools and the whole community.
“The focus of Aiken Works is to be collaborative, so we bring many partners to the table because we all have a responsibility for that mission of workforce development,” he said. “The Council of Governments has a specific mission to support workforce development, whether that be for adults, young adults and even age-appropriate children, so their mission and our mission align perfectly."
READ THE ENTIRE AIKEN STANDARD ARTICLE HERE