Nucor Steel signs Career Academy partnership agreement with BCSD

At the cusp of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, today’s job market is being dominated by the growing impact of technology, reports a 2016 World Economic Forum analysis. Because of this, many school districts across the nation are starting to shift their curriculums to intertwine more Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) aspects. Philip Simmons High School is one of those schools.

As a way to further enforce STEAM within PSHS curriculum, the Berkeley County School District formally signed the Berkeley County District Career Academy partnership with Nucor Steel on Monday, March 26 in the PSHS auditorium.

“We have been interested in partnering with a school to develop this type of academy and are pleased the Berkeley County School District and Philip Simmons High School were open to this project,” said Giff Daughtridge, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel Berkeley in a press release. “As technology continues to advance and change the steel industry, we need people educated and trained in this multidisciplinary way. We are proud to be able to help prepare students for their future by providing the tools and resources needed to learn the science of intelligent machines.”

This partnership comes after many years of hard work and coordination, added Dr. James Spencer, principal of PSHS. “Over our many years, the school administration have attended a lot of meetings where we have discussed the importance of schools partnering with the business community,” said Spencer. “Today, this discussion becomes a reality in a very big way.”

With the partnership, Nucor is now a platinum level partner with the high school’s Nucor Mechatronics Academy, a press release explains. The “facility” will be located on the PSHS campus and will be fully staffed by Nucor personnel and students enrolled in the academy.

“Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of science that includes a combination of mechanical engineering, computer engineering, telecommunications engineering, systems engineering and control engineering,” the press release states. “The Academies of Berkeley County are learning communities centered around related career areas. Students develop world class knowledge, skills and characteristics to compete in the 21st century.”

For BCSD Superintendent Dr. Eddie Ingram, who emphasized the importance preparing students for the job market of the future rather than the past, the singing of the partnership agreement is a huge step in the right direction.

“This is a very exciting day for me,” said Ingram at the partnership signing. “One of my favorite researchers, Dr. Tony Wagner of Harvard University, speaks all over the world about 21st century learning and how we need to re-configure and transform our high schools… Really the [curriculum] needs to do things like ask kids what they’re curious about, what problems they might like to solve and what they might like to create. This powerful partnership with Nucor does just that.”

BCSD District Two representative Mac McQuillin added that now that the partnership with Nucor is officially underway, the district is looking forward to what is to come in the future.

“We are very thankful for our partner at Nucor and look forward to the good things to come,” said McQuillin at the partnership signing. “The reason we are all up here is because of the students in the room. Thank you for your interest in this and I encourage all of you to look at the Mechatronics program and consider enrolling.”