Some middle schoolers in Bulloch County got a glimpse into jobs and places they might want to work one day.

It may have been the first time some of the students really thought about what they want to do for a career and the training it would take to do it. The 8th Graders got a tour of how workers at Viracon make glass panels for buildings all over the world. It’s just one of six stops for the 100 or so Bulloch County students in the 4th Annual Manufacturing Day Tour.

“It really opened up my thinking quite a bit,” said Hannah Brostek, 8th Grader. “Thinking about Viracon, where we just were, it’s a really great place.”

Bulloch County Schools teams with the Development Authority to show young people the careers available in manufacturing. They target this age group to show them opportunities before they choose a diploma track for high school.

“It’s extremely important to get them out and let them see what goes on and gets them even more excited,” said Billy Allen, Dev. Authority of Bulloch County.

Allen says the tour shows jobs that might be more high-tech and high-paying than students might imagine. Hannah says the plant to plant tour beats a career day at school.
“It’s a whole lot better, and it’s a lot more fun,” she said.

Students also learn about vocation training at places like Ogeechee Tech, helping them start a good-paying career even sooner after high school.