BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – Over the past two days, approximately 3,458 students and 209 educators from 12 school districts as well as private and home school systems participated in the SCK 2024 LAUNCH at the Knicely Conference Center.

SCK LAUNCH is an acronym for South Central Kentucky Learning About Unique and New Careers Here.

The event is a partnership between the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, Bowling Green Independent School District, Warren County Public Schools and local businesses. This is a hands-on career expo designed for eighth grade students to learn about potential career choices and what they need to do to be successful in those careers.

“We want to keep as many young people in our area as possible and fortunately we have many different jobs in all sectors that are available to keep them here,” said Ron Bunch, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. business in the Bowling Green area. .

He added that while many people view the two-day event as the entire program, it is only a small part of the experience.

“Our program extends from kindergarten through graduation, through employment and into college,” Bunch said.

The event, now in its eighth year, hosted 57 local businesses who worked together to provide students with a unique opportunity to explore diverse opportunities.

“It brings businesses together as a team in each sector, like healthcare, manufacturing or construction, which ends up benefiting the students because there is a lot of great energy and people can have good interaction,” Bunch said.

He added that to do this, each of the different companies in the different sectors worked together to find creative ways to make their displays interactive and engaging while competing with other sectors.

“You can see everything from how a surgical robot works to a robot you might see in a manufacturing environment to a simulation of what it would be like to go spelunking in a cave,” Bunch said. “You get to see what it’s like to get on construction equipment and then a simulator where you could (and) experience what it would be like to drive a bulldozer or drive a truck.”

Regarding the outlook for Bowling Green’s current job market, Bunch said that with the baby boom generation aging and retiring, there are many opportunities for younger generations.

“They’ve left positions in every sector that we have here, so there are high-level opportunities, and then people move from other opportunities to those…creating lots of opportunities for new entrants on the market,” he said. said.

Before attending the event, students are introduced to different careers through a series of lessons designed to help them understand the different industries, the companies in those industries, and the career opportunities available.

To learn more about the SCK LAUNCH initiative or to explore volunteer opportunities, visit scklaunch.com

Copyright 2024 WBKO. All rights reserved.