Gainesville High students explore careers in engineering and construction

Ben Anderson, The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
·2 min read

Oct. 19—Adrienne Cloud, an engineering teacher at Gainesville High School, says they have about 700 students taking engineering and construction classes.

But many of those students, she said, have only a faint understanding of what careers are available in these fields — careers that are in high-demand in the area, she said.

That is why she has partnered with the University of North Georgia's Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis — to introduce students to careers in fields like earth science and land surveying and geospatial intelligence.

Cloud said she pulled 2018 data for the district and found that nearly 27% of its students go straight into the workforce after graduating, above the state average of about 19%.

"It's my goal over this engineering program to make sure that the largest percentage of my students either get an excellent internship or get put into work-based learning or get straight into a college program so that they can at least see what college is like," she said.

"After analyzing our statistics, it was very apparent that here at Gainesville City Schools, a much larger portion of our students go straight into the workforce, or are undecided just kind of because of the socioeconomic situation that most of our students are in."

The poverty rate in Gainesville City Schools — measured by the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch — is about 70%. The district is also known for having the highest proportion of English learners in the entire state — more than 30% — many of whom work while in high school and who would be first-generation college students.

Through the program, "Students are made aware of high-need fields and if interested can apply for dual enrollment to earn college credit while attending high school to prepare for a career," according to a UNG news release.

Dale Caldwell, faculty of environmental studies at UNG, visited the high school Oct. 3, along with other faculty, and presented on careers in geospatial technology.

"Investing in our youth is a critical component to addressing environmental challenges, and today was a great opportunity to connect two wonderful local resources," he said.