Holmes County Hosts Career Development Event

Left: Holmes County Career and Technical Center (HCCTC) seniors Sinatra Clayton and Jamarkus Granderson show the welding exhibits they created for the center’s Career Development In-School Competition Event. Right: Sophomore Aaliyah Campbell shows the traveling nurse display she created for the event.

Last semester, the Holmes County Career and Technical Center (HCCTC) hosted its first Career Development In-School Competition Event. More than 20 students representing career and technical student organizations — HOSA, Future Business Leaders of America, Future Farmers of America, SkillsUSA and Educators Rising — competed in three events. The events were Job Interview, Quiz Bowl and Career Exhibit/ Project.

HCCTC Director Shintri Hathorn said she has observed that students are hesitant when the leadership units are taught and the recruitment begins for membership in the various campus student organizations.

Hathorn said HCCTC decided to change its strategy and promote an in-school competition to engage students early in the team and competition concept and introduce the idea of preparing and executing their leadership skills in a comfortable, familiar setting.

To prepare for the competition, students utilized leadership skills, research skills, teamwork strategies, employability skills and more.

The energy was so high and positive for the day of events that students have already asked for a rematch after state testing.

District educators, industry professionals and community stakeholders judged the various areas and provided individual feedback to the participants, which Hathorn said was very important.

“Students sometimes become complacent with their teachers’ feedback, but when they receive it from someone they don’t see daily or that they know works in this actual field, it tends to stick with them more.”

More than 90% of the students who competed in the event went on to compete in regional and state leadership events in the spring.

Sophomores Elrod Landfair (left) and Connor Campbell pose with the collision repair projects they created for HCCTC’s Career Development In-School Competition Event.