The Aiken County School District's adult education office will offer summer classes to help people obtain a GED credential or high school diploma.
Pat Keating, the adult education director, said his department also will provide instruction for WorkKeys, a job assessment system. One class will provide English as a Second Language lessons.
Adult education numbers have grown dramatically in the past two years, said Keating, serving about 2,300 people. The GED provides a credential as a diploma alternative. Some people may come into the classes, and will be close to completing program, he said. Others at a lower learning level can continue through the fall and may have the opportunity to earn the GED credential by Christmas. Some adults may be missing only one or two high school credits, and can soon complete the full 24 credits and receive their diplomas, Keating said.
WorkKeys is a job assessment tool that an increasing number of companies nationwide are using to assess the skills of prospective employees. Every year, seniors at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center have been taking WorkKeys. In a major addition, all high school juniors throughout the state will take WorkKeys next spring.
For information about any of the programs, call 803-641-2476.
Senior writer Rob Novit is the Aiken Standard's education reporter and has been with the newspaper since 2001.