by Lawrence King

[This guest opinion article is by Lawrence King, He is a business and education consultant and publisher of Stem News Chronicle a newsletter for engineers, technology and business professionals. All opinion columns are the views of the authors, and not necessarily those of the Cobb County Courier]

Career awareness should be the focus of children at least in middle school so the career preparation in high school can be best utilized.

Much of the effort I have invested into the children and parents supported by the many communities based groups in Cobb and in South Cobb in particular has been to heighten awareness of the opportunities in engineering and science careers. This does not mean that I have less regard for the importance of general career education especially in high growth areas of computer science, healthcare, and business technology.

• Computer Science is the highest demand job sector in Georgia
• Health care jobs will continue to grow as the population gets older and remains healthy
• Business technology touches all career fields from hospitality to logistics

Don’t get me wrong, skilled trades are also sectors where a graduating senior who completes an apprentice training can earn $18 – $20 an hour to start. Parents should begin when their children are in middle schools to spend time with their child’s teachers and school counselors as an active participant in charting their kid’s academic preparation for a specific career track.

I know we have been waiting a while, but the Cobb Career Academy will soon become a reality as opposed to an imposing pile of earth at the corner of Windy Hill and Favor Road. Parents in the South Cobb cluster should not wait until the Career Academy opens, but begin early to have their kids take the necessary steps in middle school.