By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— City leaders, Pelham High School administrators and members of the Greater Shelby County Chamber celebrated the completion of PHS’s Connect2Career Center Feb. 10.

“This is to get a great and really realistic perspective of the careers that are out there, the pathways to get there and just the different opportunities they have right here in their own backyard,” said PHS career coach Isabelle Eaton.

She said there are many different options out there other than the traditional four-year college, such as two-year programs, two-year programs that lead to four-year programs and some programs students think are just four years that are really 10 to 12 years.

“Really we know that career is the next step,” Eaton said. “College is important and we have great college resources here, but we want them to make that connection that school and education in total is to go for that great career.”

The resources in the center are numerous, according to Eaton. Posters around the room depict proper interview attire, why good credit important, proper resumes and other important soft skills that students might not know about.

A bookshelf to the side of the room has a section for each of PHS’s eight academies, and Eaton said they will continue to build those shelves with resources. Those areas will illustrate the pathways for each career as well.

There are also several career clusters around the center.

“Career clusters is a great way for students to see a pathway from where they are now through post-secondary and on to career,” Eaton said. “We have a lot of focus about that.”

Four computers line the wall opposite the bookcase, which contain other resources, such as the popular jobs for the Shelby County region. Eaton said these students are the future work force for the county, so they want to prepare them for the available careers.

“(These) are really great resources,” Eaton said. “This will be open every day for student to come in, even just to be here and observe the resources and sort of go through everything.”