BIBB COUNTY, Ga. — When students reach high school, they often start thinking about their next steps after graduation.
The Bibb County School District has Career, Technical and Agricultural Education courses and dual enrollment opportunities for students to gain career skills and certifications.
This year at the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department Training Academy, five high school students started learning before graduation. Bryant Dean is one of those students.
The cohort started training last August, and Dean graduated from Southwest High School this May.
"It's still clicking to me that it's finally happening,” Dean said. “It's real to me, you know, getting ready to start a career that I've decided that I want to do."
He said the training introduced him to putting out fires in the burn house, climbing ladders and search and rescue.
"It wasn't the easiest, but it was good for me,” Dean said. “It was something I needed, and I know I'm going to be ready for when it's my time."
Dean said he is grateful for the career options the district showed him through the career pathways program.
"Makes me feel happy. You know, I finally made a grown-up decision for myself,” he said. “Getting ready to pursue a career that not many people get to pursue in life, especially being from Macon, you know, not a lot of people my age get to see this point in life and I'm just proud of myself for doing it."
And it was with the help of Sergeant Lawrence Marable, the fire training dual enrollment instructor. He said he felt like a mentor to the students.
"When I got to teach the kids or the students, the information that I've learned, it was like sponges. They were soaking it all in," Marable said.
Cassandra Washington, the district's executive director of career training, said it took four years to get the firefighter pathway started. She said they want to create more pathways to industries in need of people.
"What we're trying to do is make sure we educate kids, but truly build a pipeline for student to leave high school and go directly to work or leave with credentials that allow them to go post-secondary with not so many years left that will allow them to get to the workforce easier," Washington said.
Dean said he will receive his department placement and begin more training soon. Marable said they have six students in this upcoming year's fire training academy connected to Bibb County Schools.
Recently the district earned the Economic Development Partnership designation from the Macon-Bibb County Industry Authority for these local partnerships. Washington said Bibb County Schools have more than 30 career pathway programs to help students figure out a possible career choice.