William S. Hutchings College and Career Academy(HCCA), Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) and Perdue Foods Perry Cook Facility (Perdue Foods) will celebrate the full-time employment of two recent graduates with a signing ceremony on Friday, October 9, at 1 p.m. The event will be held at the Robert J. Williams Complex, 1780 Anthony Road in Macon. Media are invited to attend.

The two graduates, James Jordan of Westside High School and Maurice Woodford of Howard High School, were among the first students to participate in the Industrial Systems Technology (IST) Pathway that launched last summer. Through the partnership between Hutchings, CGTC and Perdue Foods, Bibb and Monroe County students take classes at CGTC and earn Technical Certificates of Credit (TCCs). The partnership includes field trips, job shadowing, mentoring and guest speakers during the program. Additionally, each student who meets the requirements is guaranteed an interview with Perdue Foods upon completion of the program.

During its first year, 16 students participated in the IST Pathway. In its second year, 20 students are enrolled in the IST Pathway with 16 of those being first-year students and 4 of those being second-year students.

Representatives from each organization will be present at the signing event, as well as Macon-Bibb County Mayor- Elect Lester Miller, to speak about the importance of this partnership, which signifies the community’s commitment to ensuring students graduate high school with stackable credentials and ready to enter the workforce or college.

Due to COVID-19, the event will be held outdoors under the front awning of the Robert J. Williams Complex. Should weather prevent the event from being held outdoors, the event will move indoors with social distancing. Guests are encouraged to wear facemasks and follow safety protocols during the event. In addition, the event will be streamed live at https://tinyurl.com/y4nl262e.