The Regional Career Specialist provides leadership and services to districts and schools by supporting grade-level, standards-based curricula through the integration of academic, career, and technical instruction for students in grades seven through twelve.

Services Available for Counselors
Counselor Resources
Career Cluster Information:
Helpful Resources:
- CTE Support Website
- SC Virtual Career Guidance WBL Toolkit
- Career Center Counselor Best Practices (from the SC Dept. of Education)
- PowerSchool IGP Manual
- Activity Coding System for Student Information System (SC Dept. of Education)
- SC CLNA Improvement Phase Toolkit
- Perkins V CLNA Resources
Training for counselors is provided in the Lower Savannah Region in the following areas:
- SCOIS
- Virtual Job Shadowing through MicroCareer Burst
- WIN Learning Courseware
- Focus 2
Career Development for Students
- SCOIS – 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 call the SCOIS office at 1-800-264-9038)
- 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.
- 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 – 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.
To request a Resume Workshop or Mock Interviews, contact Jean Rickenbaker at rickenbakerjh@octech.edu.
Labor Market Trends
- 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.
Job Search Resources
Career Services
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
- Provide contacts for scheduling tours for classes or groups.
Work-Based Learning Opportunities
- Know It All
- MicroCareerBurst-Online Job Shadowing
- My Next Move
- Job Shadowing Month Resources
- Skills USA
- Youth Apprenticeships
DID YOU KNOW? OCtech has placed students in Mechatronics, Machine Tool and Welding apprenticeships.
Scholarship Information
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- PACE Scholarship Academy
- Scholarships.com
- Scholarships.com (Grants)
- Uniogo
- Discover Card Scholarships
- Colleges of Distinction
- SC Commission on Higher Education
- Sallie Mae Scholarship Search
- Fast Web (Search Engine)
- Colleges of Distinction
STEM Resources
- SC Codes – free online coding courses
- 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.
At-Home Learning
- 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.
Lower Savannah Highlights
We will be featuring members of our community in our Lower Savannah Highlights soon. Please complete the following form if you would like to nominate someone to be featured on this page.
Information for Business and Industry
Business and industry play a vital role in our community. If these individuals were not members of our community, we would not be able to function in our daily lives. It is very important for our local businesses and industries to show case their importance/talents to our area high school students. In an effort to show the appeal of working at their local business and to encourage students to return to this area to work, I am imploring you to participate in at least one of our programs, which are: Career Speaker Series, host a class tour at your facility, or Microcareer Burst Job Shadowing.
Below is an Employer’s Form here that you may complete in you are interested in getting involved.