PICKENS COUNTY — STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs available to students in the Pickens County school district show that there are viable career options for those children who are not interested in what some view as a more traditional, four-year university education.
Ray Farley, executive director of Alliance Pickens, recently organized a dinner event at the Career and Technology Center in Liberty to celebrate student achievement in the STEM program, but also to raise awareness about the exciting opportunities available in business and industry throughout Pickens County. “The students coming out of Pickens County schools are in high demand. We see 19 year olds bringing home $50,000 their first year out of school,” said Farley. “Excellent career opportunities are being generated by technical learning at this facility and at Tri-County Tech. Gone are the days when a student has to go to a four-year program.” Dr. Ronnie Booth, president of Tri-County Technical College and chair of Alliance Pickens, also attended and spoke at the STEM dinner event. He said that having a knowledgeable workforce is what makes Pickens County competitive.
