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Lower Savannah Region Career Specialist

Here's a great summer opportunity!

Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit logo

The first opportunity is for high school juniors. It’s the Washington Youth Tour, which will be held June 14-19, 2026. If selected, you’ll explore Washington, D.C., with 1,600 high school juniors from across the country—meeting lawmakers and touring all the sights. South Carolina’s electric co-ops will cover your round-trip plane ticket, tours and meals. In other words, It’s all free! Participating students also can create and lead a community service project for a chance at $5,000. 

The second opportunity is for high school sophomores. It’s the Cooperative Youth Summit, which will be held July 13-16, 2026. If selected, you’ll experience South Carolina’s capital like never before. Tour the State House, meet lawmakers and see how co-ops are preparing for our state’s energy future. Plus, there’s plenty of fun with visits to escape rooms and more. This trip is also free! Students will also compete in a public speaking competition. The winning students each get $1,000.

Get started here
Download the flyer

Contact

Jean Rickenbaker

Jean Rickenbaker
Lower Savannah Regional Career Specialist
rickenbakerjh@octech.edu
803.535.1232

Power School Deadline:

Power School information should be submitted by May 29, 2026

Event Schedule

Mark your calendars!  View events that we have planned throughout the year and makes plans early to participate:

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August 22, 2025
 C2 Chat via ZOOM: Ordean Crews and Lauren McKenzie from Aiken Public School District
9:00 am-10 am.  

This is a ZOOM session for all Counselors, Career Specialists, Work-Based Learning Coordinators, and CATE Teachers in the Lower Savannah Region. Please join us and share your ideas.  

Join Zoom Meeting
https://octech-edu.zoom.us/j/5874078397?pwd=R055MWxkdzJoRkFRNEo5TEtTczRJUT09&omn=99433420963
Meeting ID: 587 407 8397
Passcode: 151272

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September 26, 2025
Phoenix Specialty Educator and Student Field Study
7433 Main Highway, Bamberg, SC 29003

8:45 am to 10:30 am. (You will need to arrive between 8:25 am-8:35 am.) 

Students who qualify for this field study include Industrial Electronics, Industrial Maintenance, CNC Machinists, STEM, and students interested in working in a manufacturing environment.  Phoenix Specialty is creating an Apprenticeship Program that they plan to have in place soon.

  • Limit: 50 participants, tenth- to twelfth-grade students
  • Dress code includes the following: school ID, long pants, the pants cannot have holes or fraying at the bottom, closed-toed and closed-heeled shoes. Hanging jewelry is prohibited. Hoodies, hats, cell phones, and Air Pods are not allowed. 
  • Please park your bus/minibus in the area that is roped off.
  • Each school/Career Center is allowed to bring a total of ten (10) participants. I will send each Chaperone a list of the students they registered.
  • Please remain on your bus/minibus until we have checked attendance for each school/Career Center participating.
  • Certificates will be emailed to you either after the Educator and Student Field Study or on Monday of the next week.
  • We will be dispersed into groups for the tour. Please stay with your school/Career Center for the tour of Phoenix Specialty.

Link to register your students: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GVLMSYM

The SurveyMonkey Link for Phoenix Specialty will close September 9, 2025.  You will not be able to register for the Educator and Student Field Study after this date.  You will receive a confirmation from me the week of September 9, 2025.

September 30, 2025
Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital
2095 Henry Tecklenburg Drive, Charleston, SC 29414. 

Ten students and two chaperones are allowed to participate in this “Job Shadowing/Educator & Student Field Study.”  This activity will begin promptly at 10:00 am and end at 12 noon.  Your group needs to arrive by 9:45 to check in with me.  They will need to either wear scrubs or dress professionally. 

The “Job Shadowing/Educator and Student Field Study” will include the following areas: Nursing, OT/PT, Radiology Lab, and Marketing.  

The students who are registered for this event should have completed a CTE Course or a course in one of these areas.  Everyone must bring either their school identification or a driver’s license. Once you receive a confirmation email from me, please complete the “Job Shadowing Form from Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital.” This form must be completed by the student, Counselor/Career Specialists, and parents.  The “Job Shadowing Form” should be emailed to student.development@rsfh.com or faxed to 843-769-7140. When you send this form, please CC: me on the email at Rickenbakerjh@octech.edu.  The Student Development Department must receive the form by August 28, 2025. 

The link to register your students is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5QKKXHR.

The link is open and will remain available until Wednesday, August 20, 2025.  Please register your students as soon as possible.

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October 15, 2025
Titan Farms Educator and Student Field Study
5 RW DuBose Road, Ridge Spring, SC 29129.
10 am – 12 pm

 You will need to arrive between 9:40-9:50 am so your chaperone will have time to check in with me.  I will have each school/career center on a separate list.  Students and educators will need to remain on their bus until I have completed check-in for everyone in the office.

  • Tenth through twelfth-grade students are eligible to participate.
  • Fifty students plus educators are allowed to participate.
  • My requirements include that registered students have taken a CTE course/or a course in Agriculture, Business, Accounting, Horticulture, Computer Technology, or Marketing. Other students whom you may register include students who have an IGP that aligns with this field study. 
  • Dress code requirements include closed-toed shoes and good walking shoes; jewelry is prohibited, and everyone must wear hair nets for their hair and facial hair.
  • Everyone will need their school’s name tag, and please stay with your group.
  • This is a very large farm, and I am extremely excited we have an opportunity to visit it.

Link to register:   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JQMVS5R

The SurveyMonkey Link for Titan Farms will close September 15, 2025. Once the Educator and Student Field Study is filled, you will not be able to access the survey. You will receive a confirmation from me the week of September 15, 2025. 

October 22, 2025
Caw Caw Land, Timber, Logging, and Trucking LLC Educator and Student Field Study
239 Rowesville Road, Orangeburg, SC
10 am – 12 pm

Arrive around 9:45 am.  Buses may park anywhere there is space available.  

  • A total of twenty participants (educators and students) are allowed to register for this Educator and Student Field Study.
  • Students and chaperones must wear closed-toed and closed-heeled shoes. Students and chaperones will need their school ID. Items that are prohibited for the educator and student field study include: hoodies, Air Pods, and cell phones. 
  • Please register students who are taking or have completed a CTE course or a class in Agriculture, Business, Entrepreneurship, Accounting, Forestry, Natural Sciences, Marketing, or Computers. Other students that a Counselor/Career Specialist may register include students whose IGP aligns with this educator and student field study.

Link to register:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MM6F8JJ

The SurveyMonkey Link for Caw Caw Land, Timber, Logging, and Trucking LLC Educator and Student Field Study will close September 22, 2025.  Once the Educator and Student Field Study is filled, you will not be able to access the survey.  You will receive a confirmation from me the week of September 22, 2025. 

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November 5, 2025
Stier Supply Company Educator and Student Field Study
303 Bellinger Lane, Gaston, SC
10 am-12 pm 

You are encouraged to research Stier Supply Company at www.stiersupply.com to decide if you have students who would be interested in this type of work.  It is a family-owned business that is expanding into Tennessee and Virginia. Stier Supply has a “Star Academy that students may be interested in participating in.  Students must have a GED or a High School Diploma to obtain employment at Stier Supply.

  • Thirty students and educators will be allowed to participate.

Link to register:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LPCC8WK

The SurveyMonkey Link for Stier Supply Company Educator and Student Field Study will close October 1, 2025.   Once the Educator and Student Field Study is filled, you will not be able to access the survey. You will receive a confirmation from me the week of October 6, 2025. 

November 6, 2025
Michelin US 5 Plant Educator Structured Field Study
2400 Two Notch Road, Lexington, SC 29072
10:30 am-1:00 pm 

Lunch will be provided for all attendees. Please plan to arrive for check-in by 10:15 am. You will need your driver’s license. All visitors must wear closed-toed shoes and long pants, and no hoodies or ear pods are allowed on the facility floor (safety). The Lower Savannah Region has fifteen slots for this Educator Structured Field Study. It will be based on a first register basis.

Link to register:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y35KWX7

Fifteen (15) spaces are available. Once these spaces are filled, the survey link will be disabled, or it will be disabled on Monday, October 20, 2025.

November 12, 2025
 “C2 Chat with Ordean Crews and Allison Crow”
9 am – 10 am

This is a Mircrosoft Teams session for all Counselors, Career Specialists, Work-Based Learning Coordinators, and CATE Teachers in the Lower Savannah Region. The session will be from 9 am to 10 am, so please join us and share your ideas.  The Teams link will be sent out two weeks in advance.

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January 13, 2026
Dominion Energy Educator and Student Field Study
601 Taylor Road, Cayce, SC 29033
9 am – 12 pm  

  • You will need to arrive at 8:45 am in a minibus. I will meet you outside to check your school’s attendance.
  • A total of twenty-two (22) educators and students are allowed for this educator and student field study. It will be from 9 am-12 noon.
  • All students and educators will need a picture ID, wear long pants that do not have holes in them, and are not frayed at the bottom. Items not prohibited: hoodies, cell phones, or Air Pods.
  • We will be split into two (2) groups of eleven each. Therefore, please stay with your Counselor.
  • Please only register students for this Educator and Student Field Study who are interested in obtaining an Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering or Engineering Graphics Technology. **(Please do not register students who are interested in anything but the specified majors above because your school will not be allowed to attend if they are not interested in Electrical Engineering or Engineering Graphics Technology.)

Link to register:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T9NQ385

The SurveyMonkey Link for Dominion Energy will close on December 1, 2025. Once the Educator and Student Field Study is filled, you will not be able to access the survey. You will receive a confirmation by the week of December 2, 2025

January 27, 2026
Golden Kernel Pecan Company Educator and Student Field Study
5244 Cameron Road, Cameron, SC 29030
10 am – 12 pm  

This is a family-owned business. In 2024, they celebrated 100 years in business.  They have a retail store and make most of their products in their factory. This will be a very interesting and fun Educator and Student Field Study. They are looking for individuals who will come to work on time, be honest, dependable, follow directions, and add some creativity to their processes.  Individuals who do not possess these work ethics, please do not attend.

  • Maximum of 12 students and chaperones.
  • Counselors/Career Specialists should register students who are currently in or have completed a CTE course/or class in the following areas: Operating machinery, Business, Accounting, Marketing, Computers, and Entrepreneurship. 
  • Students and chaperones should wear closed-toed and heeled shoes and long pants, as we may be in the warehouse for a while.

Link to register students:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VDBYR7R

The SurveyMonkey Link for Golden Kernel Pecan Company will close January 7, 2026.  Once the survey is closed, you will not be able to access the survey to add students.  You will receive a confirmation of all your students during the week of January 8, 2026.

January 22, 2026
Delavan SprayTechnologies Educator and Student Field Study
4334 Main Highway, Bamberg, SC 29003
10 am – 12 pm

  • delavan.com
  • The maximum number of students allowed to participate is eighteen (18) in addition to chaperones.
  • Students and chaperones must wear closed-toed and closed-heeled shoes. If a student or chaperone wears glasses, please indicate on the Survey Monkey.  Delavan will provide safety glasses for everyone.  However, if someone wears glasses, they will provide you with a special pair to fit over your glasses.
  • Please relay this message to bus drivers: they will go through the parking lot to behind their building.  Their Maintenance Manager will be there to inform the bus drivers where to park.  I will have a list of students and chaperones that I will give to the chaperones before you exit your bus. 
  • Please wear long pants and your school ID.
  • Items that are prohibited for the Field Study are Air Pods, cell phones, or wearing a hoodie or hat.
  • The Counselor/Career Specialists should register students who are currently taking or have completed a CTE class/or class in Project Lead the Way, Engineering, or CNC Machines.

Link to register:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NH6M9NF

The SurveyMonkey Link for Delavan Spray Technologies will close on January 7, 2026.   Once the Educator and Student Field Study is filled, you will not be able to access the survey. You will receive a confirmation from me the week after January 7, 2026

January 29, 2026:
Aiken Electric Co-Op Educator and Student Field Study
2790 Wagener Road, Aiken, SC 29801
9 am – 1 pm

  • Aiken Electric Cooperative can accommodate 125 students (JUNIORS AND SENIORS ONLY). Chaperones will be included in the total number of 125 participants. Therefore, each school/Career Center may bring 8 students and one Chaperone. 
  • Aiken Electric Cooperative will serve lunch.
  • The schools/Career Centers invited to participate in this event include the following schools: Aiken High School, North Augusta High School, Aiken County Career and Technology Center, Midland Valley High School, Ridge Spring Monetta High School, Silver Bluff High School, South Aiken High School, Wagener-Salley High School, Strom Thurmond High School, Strom Thurmond Career & Technology Center, North High School, Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, and The Technology Center in Orangeburg.
  • Each student should have a signed permission form from their parent/guardian. Also, each student, counselor, Teacher, and chaperone should complete a “Liability Waiver and Release form for Job Shadow Day at Aiken Electric Cooperative, Inc.” form and bring it with them to the event. The Counselors/Career Specialists/Chaperones should be responsible for bringing the permission forms and Liability forms for their students.
  • A map designating where to park will also be included in the email.   All students should arrive at Aiken Electric Cooperative on their school’s van or minibus.  Please do not park in the Lobby Parking Lot.
  • Please arrive by 8:40 am so Mrs. Rosenbaum and I can check your school/Career Center in before you depart your bus or minibus. We will meet at 8:55 am in their Community Room.

Link to register students:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SHLNK63

The link for Aiken Electric Cooperative will close December 10, 2025, at 10:00 am. Once the Educator and Student Field Study reaches capacity, you will not be able to access the survey. You will receive a confirmation from me by December 12, 2025. 

**Please have a signed permission slip and the Liability Form from the student’s parent/guardian before you register a student. Also, please ensure that the student is aware that they are being held accountable for attending. Substitutions or changes to the list will not be permitted unless the student is sick or a death in the family. **

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February 4, 2026
Border States Educator and Student Field Study
120 Saxe Gotha Road, West Columbia, SC 29172
10:00 am-12:00 pm

The website for Border States is www.borderstates.com. They are an electrical supplier for businesses throughout the Southeast. They will hire students with a high school diploma/GED for Warehousing and Logistics positions. Most of their two-year Electrical positions are Sales positions.

  • Students and chaperons must wear closed-toed shoes and pants that are not frayed or have holes in them. Other clothing and items not allowed include the following: hoodies, cell phones, or Air Pods.
  • Everyone must have either a school ID or an official ID to attend this event.
  • A maximum number 32 students and educators are allowed to attend. Students who should be registered for this Educator and Student Field Study include IGP’s that align with this Educator and Student Field Study.  Also, students who have completed or are currently taking a CTE or a course in Business, Computers, or Electronics-Industrial or Instrumentation.

Link to register:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XZMT8JT

The SurveyMonkey Link for Border States will close January 6, 2026.  Once the survey is closed, you will not be able to access the survey to add students.  You will receive a confirmation of all your students during the week of January 12, 2026.

February 11, 2026
 “C2 Chat with Ordean Crews and Allison Crow”
9 am – 10 am

This is a Mircrosoft Teams session for all Counselors, Career Specialists, Work-Based Learning Coordinators, and CATE Teachers in the Lower Savannah Region.  The Teams link will be sent out two weeks in advance.


February 18, 2026
Michelin Educator and Student Field Study
Lexington, SC
10:15 am

The Lower Savannah Region will have fifty spaces available.

The students who are registered need to have completed a CTE Course in one of the following areas: Industrial Electronics, Welding, Electronic Instrumentation, Robotics, or CNC Machinery.

Your school/Career Center will need to arrive no later than 10:15 am at the Michelin Plant. Everyone must wear close-toed shoes, long pants, and present either their school ID or a driver’s license.

Michelin will provide a meal, so please complete the SurveyMonkey for each student, especially the question concerning allergies. Please choose students who have completed at least one course in one of the fields of interest and are serious about applying for a position with Michelin. These students need to be either Juniors or preferably Seniors.

*This Educator and Student Field Study is NOT a field trip to get out of school for the day.*
Link to register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZS33NXB
The Survey Monkey Link for Michelin will close January 14, 2026. Once the survey is closed, you will not be able to access the survey to add students. You will receive a confirmation of all your students during the week of January 19, 2026.

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March 5, 2026
Tri-County Electric Cooperative Educator and Student Field Study
6473 Old State Road, St. Matthews, SC
10 am – 12 pm

A total of fifty educators and students will be eligible to register for this field study.

  • Students and educators need to wear closed-toed shoes and long pants. Students are not allowed to wear hoodies, bring Air Pods, or use cell phones.  
  • Students who should register for this educator and student field study include students who are in or have completed a CTE/a class in Business, Computers, Marketing, Accounting, Electrical, or any type of office courses.

Link to register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YHT8RG6

The SurveyMonkey for Tri-County Electric Co-Op closes February 4, 2026.  Once the survey is closed, you will not be able to access the survey to add students.  You will receive a confirmation for all your students during the week of February 9, 2026.

March 11, 2026
Innovative Poultry Products
2882 Juniper Creek Road, Olar, SC
9 am – 12 pm
https://innovativepoultryproducts.com/index.html 

A total of fifty educators and students will be eligible to register for this field study.

Mr. Chad Brubaker invented several pieces of machinery for the poultry industry to enable them to dehydrate chickens efficiently. Students who should register for this Educator and Student Field Study must have completed one CTE Class or one class in one of the following Pathways:  CNC Machinery, Industrial Electronics, Welding, Culinary Arts, Agriculture, and Manufacturing.

  • A total of twenty-five students (25) and chaperones may attend. (Max 10 students and 1 chaperone per school)
  • Your school/Career Center will need to arrive between 8:40 am-8:50 am.
  • The dress code for Innovative Poultry Products includes the following: Everyone should wear closed-toe and closed-heeled shoes, Student ID/driver’s license, and long pants that are not frayed at the bottom or have holes in them.
  • Cell phones, Air Pods, hoodies, and hats are prohibited

Link to register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C5Y36R2  Registration will close Monday, February 9, 2026.  Once the survey is closed, you will not be able to access the survey to add students.  You will receive a confirmation from me during the week of Feb. 9, 2026.

NOTE: Innovative Poultry Products has a restaurant available for our group to have lunch, George’s Creek Café.  You can view their menu at https://georgescreekcafe.com.

I will need to know if your group plans to eat there and, possibly, the order for your group.  Each person will be responsible for paying for their own meal. I will have more details as the time draws closer.

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April 21, 2026
Nicci Smith and Tanner Smith
Roquemore Auditorium, OCtech
10 am – 11:30 am

Tanner has been on the Netflix series “Love on the Spectrum” for several seasons.  Priority will be given to Teachers with students with disabilities to attend and enjoy Tanner and Nicci’s inspirational chat on how he changed from a young child with Autism to an adult who can live with a roommate, star in a Netflix show, make appearances on numerous television shows, and podcasts.  He is endorsed by many companies and donates a portion of the proceeds of the t-shirts he sells back to Clemson Life.  This is truly an inspiring, touching, and motivational story from childhood to adulthood that will give your students the inspiration and motivation they need to fulfill their dreams!

Link to register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7GZ2T63

 The SurveyMonkey Link for Love on the Spectrum will close on March 2, 2026.  Once the survey is closed, you will not be able to access the survey to add students.  You will receive a confirmation number for your students and chaperones during the week of March 9, 2026

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May 6, 2026
“C2 Chat with Ordean Crews and Allison Crow”
9 am – 10 am

This is a Mircrosoft Teams session for all Counselors, Career Specialists, Work-Based Learning Coordinators, and CATE Teachers in the Lower Savannah Region. The session will be from 9 am to 10 am, so please join us and share your ideas.  The Teams link will be sent out two weeks in advance.

 

Photo Gallery

Students visiting Roper Hospital for field study
Patient Care Technician students from Williston-Elko High School visited Roper St. Francis in Charleston, SC.
Students visiting Phoenix tool and die for field study
Bamberg-Ehrhardt HS, Branchville HS, and Barnwell HS. Educator and Student Field Study was at Phoenix Specialty in Bamberg, SC.
students at Caw Caw land and lumber
Students at Caw Caw Land, Timber, Logging, and Trucking
students at titan farms
Students at Titan Farms
students at titan farms
Students at Titan Farms
students at titan farms
Students at Titan Farms

Seals of Distinction Updates:

Here is short video on how to code the Seals of Distinction in PowerSchool. Be sure to check with your district-level Seals of Distinction Contact to ensure that recipients are identified (students must earn a SC high school diploma to be eligible for Seals of Distinction):

Questions? Contact Wendy Stephens: wstephens@ed.sc.gov

Here are some important reminders about the Seals of Distinction:

Earned Seals of Distinction are coded in PowerSchool on the SC Student Information page. Only earned and verified Seals of Distinction should be entered on this page. The Postgraduate Student Email is also on that page!

The deadline to enter earned Seals of Distinction and postgraduate student email addresses in PowerSchool:

  • August 31, 2025 for summer graduates 
24-25 Seals of Distinction Overview and Guidelines

Individual Graduation Plan Updates:

  • All students in grades eight through twelve must complete an Individual Graduation Plan (IGP) during the 2025-26 academic year.
  • The deadline to complete IGPs will be set by your District EEDA Accountability Coordinator. If you are unsure of your deadline, reach out to your District EEDA Accountability Coordinator.
  • Be sure all completed 2025-26 IGPs are marked ‘Primary’ on the students’ IGP Success Planner page.

You can access IGP reports by clicking “Real Time Reports” under the Level Data heading in Power School to track IGP completion and ensure that 100% of the IGPs are ‘locked’ and ‘primary’ in compliance with the state-mandated reporting.

Once all students’ IGPs are completed, locked, and designated ‘Primary’, take a screenshot of the Level Data IGP Analysis Report showing 100% completion. Save the screenshot as verification that all IGPs were completed. 

Helpful Videos

IGP Reports
IGP Common Mistakes to avoid

OCtech Advanced Manufacturing and Truck Driving Programs

Automotive Technology

Electronic Instrumentation

Engineering Design

Industrial Technology

Machine Tool Technology

Mechatronics

Truck Driving

Welding

CTE and Career Training Program Videos

These videos highlight different programs and careers from around the Region to provide students a look into some of their many educational options. If you have a video you would like featured here, please contact Jean Rickenbaker.

More Videos

Padlets

Helpful and interesting updates from around the state

SCOIS Padlet

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SCOIS Padlet

SC 7 CS Updates by A. Duvall

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SC & CS Updates

SC Workbased Learning

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SC Workbased Learning

Resources

  • EVERFI – Digital Lessons for Life Skills such as Social-Emotional Learning, Health & Wellness, Financial Capability, & Career Readiness.
  • PBS Kids – Activities, e-learning books, games, and apps such as Play and Learn Engineering, The Cat In the Hat Invents, Molly of Denali, Ready, Jet Go! Spa Scouts, Sid’s Science Fair, Jet’s Bot Builder, Splash & Bubbles for Parents, The Cat In the Hat Builds That!, Play and Learn Science. They also feature Prankster Planet, PBS Parents Play and Learn, Super Why! Power to Read, and many more exciting apps and games to learn and choose from.
  • Focus2 –  This website assists students to connect their interests with college majors and career opportunities.  Students can also design a resume.
  • TALLO – This website provides career advice and networking for students. Students may be matched with jobs, scholarships and internship opportunities.  Tallo Marketing & Classroom Tool Kit
  • Career Builder – This website provides another option for students to build a resume and explore careers.
  • Resume Builder – This website provides resume tips as students build an online resume.
  • O*Net – This is a counselor focused tool for career exploration and job analysis. It has detailed descriptions of the world of work for the use of job seekers, workforce development, HR professionals, and student researchers.
  • Jobs Made Real – By Teens for Teens: Discover Your Career Path
  • CareerOneStop – This site includes the Career Exploration Toolkit, career self assessments, occupation profiles, skills matchers, and career videos.
  • At-Home Learning: KnowItAll.org – This is resource Is updated weekly with K5-6 grade and 7th grade -12 grade. It is comprised of resources from SCETV to assist students with their subjects at home. There is a wealth of information on SCETV for parents, students, counselors, and teachers to utilize.
  • SC Works
  • Roadtrip Nation
  • I Defy
  • I Made It
  • CA Career Zone
  • Today’s Military – There are hundreds of ways to make a living in the Military, and many of these careers provide the training and experience needed for a rewarding second career in the private sector.
  • NASA Quest – Women of NASA -This site was developed to encourage, more young women to pursue career in math, science, and technology.
  • Career Videos – Career Videos by Dr. Kit who is a Psychology Professor at Bishop State Community College in Mobile, Alabama.  He developed Dr. Kit website 3 years ago and he works on it in his spare time.  He won the website at a conference and this is what he decided to make out of it.  He has been teaching Psychology for approximately 30 years.
  • Career Village: This online community provides a forum for students to ask questions about career exploration and planning directly to current professionals. From “How much does a music producer earn?” to “How to find your dream job,” students are able to have their specific questions answered from real-life professionals working in the fields they are exploring.
  • Job Shadow: At Job Shadow, students can read interviews from professionals working in a vast number of fields, including some more unique professions that might be of interest to students such as jobs in the arts, roles that involve work with animals, and “jobs you may not have heard of.” Students can also search for interviews based on compensation structure or work environment.
  • Be Something Amazing - Health Care Career - Learn more about health careers in SC
  • College Essay Guy - Help with college admissions essays
  • ACT CCRW Toolkit

To request a Resume Workshop or Mock Interviews, contact Jean Rickenbaker at rickenbakerjh@octech.edu.

RESUME WORKSHOPS AND MOCK INTERVIEWS
We can provide a customized Workshop upon request.
CAREER FAIRS

  • Provide contacts for a successful Career Fair
  • Relay tips for a successful Career Fair
  • Assist in planning for a Virtual Career Fair

Here is a great example of a successful Virtual Career Fair:  Wade Hampton High School’s (Greenville SC)  VIRTURAL CAREER FAIR

FIELD TRIPS AND INDUSTRY TOURS
We can provide contacts for scheduling tours for classes or groups.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Career Cluster Information:

Career and Technical Education:

Career Specialist Resources

Counselor Resources

Training for counselors is provided in the Lower Savannah Region in the following areas:

U.S. Dept of Education Crisis Planning Guide

FEMA Ready Kids: Flooding

FEMA Ready Kids: Hurricanes

ASCA Webinar Effective Crisis/Trauma Response

  • SCOIS – South Carolina Occupational Information System-This system has a three-part system, which includes an elementary/middle, high school, and Post-Secondary exploration. It has a wealth of up-to-date information for counselors, students, and teachers to utilize.
  • O*Net – A great tool for career exploration and job analysis. It has detailed descriptions of the world of work for the use of job seekers, workforce development, HR professionals, and student researchers. You can also browse information/job codes in the military to find what the equivalent job would be in civilian life.
  • Bureau of Labor and Statistics explains about wages by the area that one lives in, occupation, data, tools, career outlook, employment projection, pay, and benefits.
  • SC Department of Employment and Workforce Development – This is the Employment Security Commission where they have upgraded their system drastically and made everything electronic.  You can file for unemployment benefits, look for a job, tax information, input your information for looking for a job, etc.
  • SC DEW Workforce Information Panel
  • US Department of Labor- To foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.
  • Career One Stop
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook – Occupational Outlook Handbook-Published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives.

This website is a trusted source for Career and Post-Secondary exploration and interests.  The SCOIS career skills inventory allows students to connect their interests to a Career Cluster occupation.  Students can design a resume and access MicroCareerBurst Job Shadowing.  (If you do not have a password, please contact SCOISASSISTANCE@ed.sc.gov  or 1-800-264-9038. )

Technologies to Explore Career Options and Virtual Reality

Hands-on, interactive, and dynamic experiences are important to engage students and give them a realistic window into what a career will entail. Some of the most innovative work in career exploration is utilizing virtual reality (VR) to provide immersive experiences for students to do jobs. Though internships, apprenticeships, and other immersive, real-world experiences are only possible for a small number of students, VR can provide access to the environments, tools, and opportunities in a wide variety of industries without leaving the classroom.

  • Oculus VR Career Experience: This free resource designed for the Oculus Go platform, the most popular consumer VR headset, provides students with the opportunity to learn the complex world of pipe fitting, HVAC, and welding. The application was designed by the International Training Fund of the United Association, an international union of plumbers, fitters, and technicians, to provide students with an immersive and realistic window into these jobs.
  • ByteSpeed: ByteSpeed, available for a fee, provides students ranging from elementary school to higher education a wide variety of career VR experiences including agriculture, fashion design, health care, and engineering.
  • SC Codes – free online coding courses
  • Computer Science and Engineering Resources for Women in STEM
  • SCBIO K-12 Workforce Initiative – The SCBIO Foundation is committed to inspiring, developing, and cultivating the next generation of life sciences workforce. We partner with SCBIO investors to bring career-based learning into the classroom for students and teachers.
  • Teen Science Cafe – Teen Science Café out-of-school programs are a free, fun way for teens to explore the big advances in science and technology affecting their lives. Teens and STEM experts engage in lively conversations and activities to explore a topic deeply.
  • Learning Blade – Complete toolbox of online lessons, projects, and activities designed to grab your students attention while introducing them to the careers, tools and technologies found throughout the STEM fields.
  • The South Carolina Aquarium Teen Science Café out-of-school programs are a free, fun way for teens to engage in lively, educational conversations with STEM experts.  For teens ages 13-17 via Zoom.
  • Career Videos – Career Videos by Dr. Kit who is a Psychology Professor at Bishop State Community College in Mobile, Alabama.  He developed Dr. Kit website 3 years ago and he works on it in his spare time.  He won the website at a conference and this is what he decided to make out of it.  He has been teaching Psychology for approximately 30 years.
  • Glossary of Coding and Programming Terms

Student Information System Power School Data Entry Manual 2022

23-24 Activity Coding Systems Manual Excel Table  (Questions about this table may be directed to Nicole Ivery at nivery@ed.sc.gov )

PowerSchool-Cheat-Sheet

PowerSchool Webinar Video

Enrich Seals of Distinction Report Webinar Video and Instruction Flyer

Junior Achievement of SC – Junior Achievement USA provides several ways that you can get involved whether you’re someone looking to volunteer, part of a district or school looking for educational materials, or part of a business looking to help us expand the reach of our mission. Junior Achievement USA is providing free online resources to teachers and parents. We are doing this so our kids can spend more time planning for and dreaming about tomorrow, and less time worrying about today. We are committed to doing this until we can all be certain again.

CTE Student Organizations

All Work-Based Learning must be entered into PowerSchool no later than May 29, 2026

DID YOU KNOW?  OCtech has placed students in Mechatronics, Machine Tool and Welding apprenticeships.

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