AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – You may remember we told you about students in Aiken County getting a certification that makes them employable while still in high school through a new course.
Eighty high schools across the U.S., Canada and Australia are taking part in the “Dell Tech Crew” program this year. Aiken County is the first in South Carolina to launch this program, and the first here locally.
“This is really the second year that we’ve started the Dell Tech Crew. I really enjoy getting the students involved in this program, because so many of these students already have a background in repairing computers; some students have even built their own computers,” said Jason Redd, Aiken High School pre-engineering teacher.
“It’s fun. It’s a really good opportunity and a really good experience to have and the opportunities it will give me are pretty exponential,” said Preston Gillespie, Aiken High School sophomore.
“For me, it’s an amazing opportunity because we didn’t have opportunities like this. You know you pretty much had to go to college, two year or four year college, but students today have the opportunity to gain hands-on work-based skills,” said Kenneth Lott, Aiken County Career and Technology Center principal. “You can take a young man or a young lady and they can actually graduate and actually go out and get into the workforce and support themselves through college without all the student loan debt because they’re working.”
“I really don’t know how to explain it, but I like that I’m able to do it and that it’s something I’m proud of because it’s an asset that most students don’t have,” he said. “I love the opportunity that companies have. They can save millions of dollars in recruiting expenses because they can come right here and work with the school district and train their talent for free.”
The course is being offered at North Augusta High School, Aiken High, Ridge-Spring Monetta High School and Wagener-Salley High School.
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