Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

255 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 students are learning is M- message, they have to be thoughtful about their message, you need to be aware of the way that you’re communicating with people, verbal and nonverbal. A- accept responsibility, G- gaining respect, I- integrity, I will do what is right even when no one is watching, and C- commitment. So those are our core values.” The academy offers a diverse range of career pathways and dual enrollment options, allowing students to earn college credits or technical certificates while still in high school. For employers, this assists with the pressing need for skilled workers, particularly for entry-level positions. “Our students are earning either college credit from Golden State College, or they’re earning Technical College certificates CATOOSA COUNT Y PUBL IC SCHOOLS from Georgia Northwestern Technical College, so they can graduate and go straight into the workforce,” Brower conveys. She offers the example of a partnership with the sheriff where criminal justice students can receive 80 contact hours of training. “Those students can graduate, take a test and go to work as a detention officer, which is an entry level position, for $40,000, a year at 18 years old. We piloted it last year and 12 students completed it. He hired five of those students. So, you can see the win win there.” Through the academy’s health sciences program, students can graduate with four certifications, including Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), patient care technician (PCT), certified clerical medical assistant (CCMA),