This podcast features a description of the business technologies career pathway and an interview with a West Columbus High School graduate and a conversation about his career exploration.
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Show Notes
Episode #2: “The Future is Here- BioAg. SCC invites you to experience a cutting-edge adventure in learning”
• We are excited about having you participate in an our Columbus County TechPrep Consortium podcast episode. In our podcast series, we are interested in exploring the Agricultural Biotechnology program at SCC, BioAg careers, its impact to Columbus County, and the pathway students would need to follow in order to prepare for these career opportunities.
• To help prepare for the interview, I have listed a few interesting facts from the article in the recent CareerFocus publication. Please feel free to add any facts that parents and students in our podcast audience will find informative. I also have prepared several possible questions to guide our conversation.
• We will use this information as part of your interview.
Interesting Fact #1: The North Carolina is one of the top three states in biotechnology in the United States
Interesting Fact #2: Out of the 50 states, only California and Massachusetts rank higher than NC.
Interesting Fact #3: NC is a worldwide BioAg leader
Interesting Fact #4: Salaries in biotechnology field are very attractive. Annual salaries for entry-level technicians start at $25,000 to $30,000 and can progress to $50, 000 in five years.
Interesting Fact #5: The NC biotechnology industry is growing 10-15% each year. At this rate, 125,000 workers will be needed by 2025.
Interesting Fact #6: NC has more than 150 biotechnology companies. These companies generate about $3 billion in annual revenue and employee more than 18,500.
Intro:
We are one the campus of Southeastern Community College, in Columbus County and we’re going to explore the field of BioAg with our guest for this episode of CC TP C podcast– Rebecca Westbrooks, project director of the SCC Agricultural Biotechnology curriculum. She is also the lead instructor and developer of SCC’s Environmental Science Technology program. Westbrooks was awarded a Biotechnology Innovation Fund grant to develop the Agricultural Biotechnology curriculum back in 2005. Westbrooks also was awarded a grant to develop six Biotechnology course lectures for Internet delivery. She was selected to receive a full fellowship to attend the BioLink Conference “New Frontiers in Biotechnology” in Berkley, California in June 2006. She was one of 50 nationally to receive this fellowship. She has been teaching at SCC for more than 18 years and has taught for a total of 32 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, and chemistry from Austin Peay State University, and a master’s degree from University of South Carolina with an interdisciplinary concentration in biology (botany), chemistry and physics. Welcome Mrs. Westbooks to our podcast.
[The questions that I would like to address in the episode are:]
1. What exactly is Agricultural Biotechnology?
2. Mrs. Westbrooks, how is SCC’s Agriculture Biotechnology curriculum designed to meet the increasing demands for skilled laboratory technicians in various fields of biological, chemical and agricultural technology?
3. How would you describe the course work?
4. What kinds of companies hire BioAg Technicians?
5. “If you build it, they will come”…which is famous quote from the movie Field of Dreams, could you tell us about how this program has been built? Where did the idea come from? (I would like to include some photos of the facility). Enhanced podcasts viewed using iTunes allow listeners to also view still images while listening to the audio.
6. Are there any examples of how BioAg is helping already here in Columbus County? Sweet Potato and Venus FlyTraps.
7. Let me ask you a question about BioAg as a career, what are some traits of a good Culturist?
8. What career pathway does this curriculum fit in so middle and high school students in our county will know what they should sign up for and talk with their teachers and school guidance folks about… (the Agricultural and Natural Resources Technologies career pathway)
9. Explain how SCC is networked with other groups focusing on training, education and workforce development for biotechnology-related industries.
10. We all know in these times of a Flat-world or Global economy, that industries like to develop and relocate where there is a well-trained workforce. Are there any closing thoughts about how this specialized training will prepare our students to meet the needs of the future?
Closing:
Thank you for listening to episode 2, “The Future is Here- BioAg.
SCC invites you to experience a cutting-edge adventure in learning and to be a part of what is part of the fastest growing industry – BioAg, and thank our special guest Rebecca Westbrooks for an interesting look at this part of the career pathway. For more information call SCC at (910) 642-7141. Or visit SCC online at www.sccnc.edu
The Columbus County TechPrep Consortium is the sponsor of this podcast and to learn more visit www.findyourcareer.org. This podcast is copyrighted under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License and is a production of CCTPC.
Teen arrested for MySpace meet-up
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PENDER COUNTY — The internet is a source of endless information, but it’s also a place where predators can lurk, waiting to prey on underage teens and children. Just recently authorities arrested a 19-year-old Virginia man for encounters with a 14-year-old Pender County girl. Investigators say the two met through the popular website MySpace. Authorities say 19-year-old Jonathan Nylen was caught red-handed having relations with an underage Pender County girl he met on the popular website MySpace. They say the relationship started in early 2006 and escaladed to the point where Nylen drove more than 300 miles to pursue the girl. Det. Scott Lawson of the Pender County Sheriff’s Office said, “He began contacting and conversing with a 14-year-old Pender County girl. Over the course of a couple of months they eventually exchanged enough information to where they met up with each other.” Authorities say Nylen drove down from his hometown of Springfield, Va. and met up with the girl on more than one occasion. “And on one of those occasions some alleged inappropriate sexual activity took place,” Det. Lawson said. The girl’s guardians did some investigating into her MySpace account and found out about the relationship. They then notified authorities who began their investigation into what kind of information was exchanged between the two through MySpace. “I think what people don’t understand is that if you type it and you save it we can access it. We can find out what you’ve talked about, what you’ve planned, what you know because someone has told you as far as who you are, where you live, or how old they may be,” Det. Lawson said. Investigators say Nylen knew the girl was 14 but pursued the relationship anyway. Now he’s facing felony charges of statutory rape and first-degree kidnapping. “He did not have, he being an adult, the right to take her anywhere, in North Carolina that’s considered kidnapping.” Prosecutors in the case hope to have Nylen in front of a grand jury by next month. Until then Nylen is banned from coming to North Carolina and from having any contact with girl or anyone she knows. Since the incident in Pender County authorities there are working to get parents more educated on protecting their children. The Pender County Sheriff’s Office now has free computer software called Computer Cop available to anyone who requests it. The software is designed to run a scan of chats and websites visited on a computer and then flag certain hot-button words. The software is also available if you live in New Hanover County. You can pick it software up at the Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department or the District Attorney’s office. SOURCE
The software is also available if you live in New Hanover County. You can pick it software up at the Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department or the District Attorney’s office. SOURCE
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Beginning with freshmen in 2007-2008, Texas will require students to complete four years of science and math to graduate from high school. Struggling students may have the requirement reduced to three years of math and two years of science with school and parent permission. Teachers of electives concerned about their subject areas are asking state lawmakers to raise the number of elective credits for graduation. The only other state with a four-year requirement is Alabama. To read more in this online story from the Dallas Morning News, visit http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/071706dnmetrequired.1a20f17.html.
North Carolina now requires Biology, Earth/Environmental Science, and one physical science, and 4 years of math only if the potential graduate is seeking admission to the UNC system of 4-year colleges.
(4th credit effective for first time ninth graders in 2002-2003)
Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and higher level math course with Algebra II as prerequisite OR Integrated Mathematics I, II, III, and a credit beyond Integrated Mathematics III.
CAREER PREP and COLLEGE TECH PREP Course of Study Requirements in mathematics require only 3 credits. These students are on a career pathway to attend 2 year community colleges and then transfer to a 4 year college, go to work, or the military. I understand through the grapevine that some higher level talks in our state are suggesting we do away with these two less challenging pathways for graduation. This could spell trouble IMHO. I remember when our schools removed summer school programs and said it was a waste of time and money. Drop out rates remained high and students continued to fail and those that could bare the stigma and stick around for a 5th year of high school finally, sometimes by the Grace of God, somehow passed enough courses to graduate. Are our students going to be better off with more science and math courses on the high school transcript? That is a good question. Will it increase our all ready horrible track record of 9th graders never making it to graduation night? I say probably it will. I think the current requirements are challenging for our students. I could see how it would make our state’s curriculum look good, but how will it impact the lives of our students? What does the research say? Is the research valid and compelling?
Lots of questions. I have no answers, and am glad I am in the classroom, not having to way this issue. It is too hot to worry about it. My gout is trying to flare up and I need to get some more work done before starting back to work the 15th of August —
