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16-Year-Old Plans Mobile Welding Service for Local Farmers
The student debt crisis has pushed many families to rethink the traditional college path. Madison County High School senior Gavin Heath never had to rethink it. He's already on a different track entirely, building welding skills and business experience that will launch him into a debt-free career straight out of high school. The 16-year-old is…
HireSmart Cares Grant Gives New Wings to Thomson High School Drone Program
The first time students at Thomson High School pick up a drone controller, their hands are tense and uncertain. By the time they master complex flight courses, they realize they are learning much more than how to fly. They are uncovering career paths they never knew existed in their rural Georgia community. Under the guidance…
Teen’s Creativity Pays Off in HireSmart Cares Book Design Contest
Sophia Grier earned the $500 top prize for a recent book cover design contest at Madison County High School. The sophomore created a cover for "The Hustle Handbook: Lessons They Don't Teach You IN SCHOOL, but Life Will," by Mark Lackey, Co-founder of HireSmart Cares, a local nonprofit focused on workforce development. Lackey's autobiography details…
HireSmart Supports College and Career Fair
Students from Jackson County High School and East Jackson High Schools recently connected with representatives from 38 businesses, industries, and post-secondary institutions during a college and career fair hosted at Empower College and Career Center in Jefferson, Georgia. The April 1 event exposed 9th-12th grade students to various career and college opportunities. Students had the…
HireSmart Backs Jordan’s Mission to Build Skills That Matter
Ag mechanics instructor Cody Jordan doesn’t like sitting still. He’s happiest when he’s moving and creating value for himself and others with his hands. Now, he’s helping teens at the Empower College and Career Center in Jefferson find exactly that kind of life for themselves — a “get-out-and-build-value” mindset that comes with hands-on abilities. Jordan’s…
Texas Teacher’s Vision for Drone Program Takes Flight with HireSmart Grant
Instructor Terry Andre Hayes has personally paid for drones for students to fly at his alma mater, Evan E. Worthing Early College High School in Houston. The 1979 Worthing graduate and Naval Science instructor at the school sees drones as a pathway to success for his students, but the financial burden of supplying equipment has…
HireSmart Covers Cost of Shelving for Construction Class
Danielsville Elementary School construction teacher Christy Hanson recently received a check for $700 from HireSmart Cares Co-founder Mark Lackey. The grant covered the cost of mobile shelving for the school's construction class materials. "The shelves have come in so handy for us," said Hanson, whose fourth and fifth-grade students learn the construction basics. "I can…