Students in East Mississippi Community College’s Camp AMP got to learn about being an adult with the help of several local companies.
Seventh and eighth graders in the week-long camp spent Friday playing The Game of Life, with the help of local car dealers, realtors and construction companies. The students were randomly assigned ‘jobs’ with salaries, and had to go through booths with various items they had to purchase, including vehicles, homes, insurance and cell phones among them. Students were required to use their funds wisely, and were also given cards with various scenarios, either costing or saving them money.
“We kind of wanted to bring some light to local industry and skilled trade jobs, and letting these kids know what they can actually make in skilled crafts around our campus,” said McCrary-West Construction Director of People and Culture Katie McCrary.
In addition to McCrary-West, other firms present included 4 County Electric, Graham Roofing, Verizon and Burns Dirt.
“They’re playing The Game of Life,” McCrary said. “They’re learning what they can make in jobs working with their hands, but they’re also learning what it takes to live.”
During the entire week of Camp AMP, secondary students learn about EMCC”s career and technical programs. Campers also get to tour several local industries, including Aurora Flight Science, PACCAR, Yokohama and International Paper.
McCrary emphasized the need for more workers in the skilled trades.
“Across the United States, we are facing a skilled trades gap,” McCreary Said. “We don’t have children learning to work with their hands anymore, and our businesses are a group of a bout 15 together, which have partnered with the new Lowndes County Career Tech Center, and also Delbert Hosemann, the secretary of state, to bring awareness to kids this age, and help them realize that by the time they graduate high school, the skilled trade gap will be huge, and there are a ton of jobs available for them in these areas, and they pay very well.”
More Camp AMP sessions will take place over the summer. For more information, email tsmith@eastms.edu, or call 662-243-1764.