August 10, 2022
ECCC graduate Nolan Cater used an internship through the Career STEP Program to kick-start his career in information technology with the Newton Municipal School District.. (Submitted Photo)
As Nolan Cater was completing the final requirements for his Associate Degree at East Central Community College in Decatur in Spring 2022, he was looking for an internship to help build his resume. When his instructor mentioned the Career STEP Program during class announcements one morning, Cater not only got his internship but also a full-time job in his career field.
The Southern Mississippi Planning & Development District’s Career Skills Training Education Pathways (STEP) Program is a workforce program that covers the cost of short-term (less than one year) training, such as workforce and career-technical education courses. The program partners with local community colleges, such as East Central Community College, to connect participants to training opportunities and ultimately to career pathways.
“Ken Ethridge, my computer science instructor at East Central, mentioned Career STEP in class one day and said it would be great opportunity for me,” said Cater, who graduated from Wilcox Academy in Camden, Ala., but now calls Decatur home. “I had been looking for a technology internship for quite some time so I could build my resume.”
That internship was with the Information Technology Department of the Newton Municipal School District just down the road in Newton starting in February 2022.
“I was able to get involved with all sorts of technology issues related to my field,” explained Cater. “I repaired student laptops, assisted in maintaining the district network, and helped teachers with any technology issues they had.”
Cater said the internship came with many benefits, the most important of which was to put him in a position to be considered for full-time employment with the school district.
“Not only did I get the experience I initially desired but I also was lucky enough to be in consideration for a full-time position as a technician for the district,” said Cater. “A few months after the internship ended, I received the news that I had been selected for the full-time position.”
Cater graduated from East Central in May 2022 with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts with a focus in Computer Science. He began his computer science career with the Newton Municipal School District this month.
“I would definitely recommend the Career STEP program to any East Central student for the experience alone,” said Cater. “This program opened so many opportunities for me and changed my life completely. I’m 20 years old, I have a full-time job with benefits, amazing connections and coworkers, and the amazing satisfaction with work in general. I didn’t even think this was possible before I started the program. It kick-started my career.
This was my dream job from the moment I discovered it and Career STEP, along with my education at ECCC, provided me the path to this job.”
For more information on the Career STEP Program, contact LeVar Robinson at 601-635-6430 or lrobinson@eccc.edu.
