Page 33 - Clayton Newcomers Guide 2022

youth so they can start early on their path and Special Purpose Local Option Sales
toward a certificate or dual enrollment. Tax money.
Caroline Angelo, Executive Vice The new major and the incubator will
President of Academic and Student Affairs combine to teach professional soft skills
at Atlanta Tech, serves on the advisory while engaging students in the process
board at Clayton County Public Schools of starting a business. Small businesses
for career, technical, and agricultural have a specific set of challenges that
education, or CTAE. She said catching the students can better understand and learn
eyes of students early is imperative. to overcome by working with the business
“It’s really important when they’re in school’s Small Business Development
eighth grade, because they need to be Center (SBDC) or as consultants with the
thinking about what path they take, or supervision of community members and
Dr. Morcease J. Beasley how they can work their schedule to earn faculty, Chacko said. For businesses to take
Superintendent and CEO of a certificate,” she said. “Dual enrollment advantage of the services of the SBDC, for
Clayton County Public Schools is free up to 30 credit hours. Most of our example, businesses must be at a certain
certificates don’t take that long.” point in development.
“The consulting group model uses
courses and internship credits to
encourage students to work with small
“The purpose of Clayton County businesses under the supervision of
College and Career Academy is to prepare community and college advisors,” Chacko
students for the ever-changing workforce said. “That way businesses can get the legs
by combining academic and occupational they need to work with the SBDC.”
courses to ensure students are both college Being involved in that process is
and career ready,” said Dr. Morcease J. a valuable lesson for students in the
Beasley, superintendent and CEO of Clayton entrepreneurship major, a lesson they can
County Public Schools. use when they graduate to become more
College and career academies have successful business owners.
been popping up around Georgia over
the past decade and are changing the Caroline Angelo
way public schools approach vocational Executive Vice President of Academic
education. Instead of being treated as and Student Affairs at Atlanta Tech
an afterthought for non-college-bound
students, the academies are providing
highly technical, hands-on education and
training based on science, technology, Atlanta Tech and Clayton County Public
engineering, and math, or STEM. Educators Schools recently held the HOPE Expo, or
have found that when students identify Hands-On Pathways Exploration, during
interests early, it improves attendance, which 800 eighth-grade students got to
grades, graduation rates, and the number tour the technical college and see the
of credits earned, Beasley said. pathways available to them in person. They
“The College and Career Academy then had the chance to meet employers Dr. Jacob Chacko
will afford students an opportunity to such as Toyota, Nissan, Georgia Power, and Dean of the College of Business at
enroll in advanced academic courses and others that may hire them after completing Clayton State University
pathways which may or may not be offered an Atlanta Tech program.
at their zoned schools,” Beasley said. “It “Our goal is for students to be
will also provide a choice for students to employable the next day after graduation,”
succeed in a non-traditional collegiate Angelo said. “We have a high percentage of first-
environment while earning high school Students who decide to pursue a generation college students who may not
and college credit simultaneously. It will bachelor’s degree after high school with have these role models at home,” Chacko
also help them make successful transitions an eye on entrepreneurship can find plenty said. “We try to purpose build these
to postsecondary education and career of support at Clayton State University, said engagements into the classroom
pathways that are high skill, high wage, and Dr. Jacob Chacko, Dean of the College of and activities.”
in demand.” Business at Clayton State. The business A healthy economy has larger industrial
Atlanta Technical College is involved school is developing an entrepreneurship operations thriving alongside smaller,
in the process as well. Faculty members major that will work closely with the new entrepreneur-led businesses, Chacko said.
serve on the board for the Clayton County Innovation Center business incubator “In a community like Clayton County,
College and Career Academy and are part across the street from the college. The we need to have entrepreneurs play a vital
of the process in identifying and attracting incubator is being paid for with grants role,” he said.

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