Preparing Tomorrow’s Personnel Today
By Marilyn Thomas
While traditional educational basics, like the three Rs— reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic—are essential to academic success, Lexington Technology Center of Lexington School District One applies these fundamentals in practical ways with hands-on learning in specific occupational fields. Whether the goal is to pursue a longstanding, essential trade or to secure a foothold in emerging technology, the vision of
this school’s multi-faceted programs is to empower each student to become an innovative leader within his or her career and community.
Bryce Myers, the director of career and technical education (CTE) for the Lexington Technology Center (LTC), asserts: “LTC’s mission is to build our community through career preparation focused on character, creativity, and craftsmanship.” After receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration from
Francis Marion University and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Business from Winthrop University, Myers joined the staff of LTC in 1999.
“Career and Technical Education allows students to apply what they’ve learned in their core classes,” Myers says. “Many of our courses and programs align directly to college majors and future careers.” However, like most educators who are involved in CTE, Myers also believes that this approach to education is valuable for all students (and not just for those who do not plan to go to college) because everyone eventually enters the workforce, and the challenging, diverse, and individualized opportunities provided by CTE better prepare them for this inevitability.
“At LTC, we want to impact and improve our community by preparing students for employment,” Myers
continues. “To do this, we believe students need to have strong character, be able to think and problem solve, and be able to do and perform their job. We want them to be difference makers and leaders in
Lexington, South Carolina; across our nation; and around the world.”
Because of its fundamental importance in the economy, the U.S. Congress has officially described CTE as “a key element of the nation’s workforce development system, providing students with both academic and technical skills to succeed in further education and future careers.” Thus, innovative federal
legislation in 1963 and 1968 “created a wave of vocational education centers across South Carolina and the country,” explains Myers.
As a result, LTC was established in 1974 for the students of Lexington County School District One. Located at 2421 Augusta Highway in Lexington, the facilities have been expanded several times since its beginnings to meet the demands of a dynamic job market. Today, LTC currently serves about 2,000 students from five high schools in the district, which include Gilbert, Lexington, Pelion, River Bluff, and White Knoll.
To uphold its standards of excellence, the school has achieved Advanced STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Certification from the nationally recognized non-profit, non-governmental organization known as Cognia. Also, LTC has been acclaimed as a School of Excellence on local, statewide, and national levels and has received the respected Palmetto Gold and Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School Awards. Furthermore, LTC’s instructors and students regularly participate and place
in state and national career and technical student organizations’ competitions.
Because “one size does not fit all,” LTC and other schools across Lexington District One offer 36 different programs related to CTE training. While enrolled at LTC, “Students can explore future
careers,” says Myers. “Many find what they want to major in when attending college. Many eliminate something they thought they wanted to do.”
When they do identify occupations of interest, their paths to a promising career can definitively begin at LTC because certification requirements in some fields can be fulfilled while enrolled there. As examples, Myers lists several of these, including Nursing Assistants Certification, Federal Aviation Administration 107 Drones License, American Welding Society Certifications, SolidWorks Associates and Professionals Certifications, cosmetology licensure, and many more. In fact, during the 2024-25 school year, 3,457 industry certifications were earned by CTE students in the Lexington One School District.
In addition to its specialized courses and certifications, the school also offers advanced STEM studies; dual-enrollment, honors, and advanced placement courses; and cooperative education, which involves job shadowing, internships, and apprenticeships.
Brayden Crump recently completed LTC’s Engineering Program as a junior. He intends to enroll in college-level dual enrollment classes in the fall, during his senior year, and graduate as a “Center completer.”
“Once I finish high school, I plan to attend college and study aerospace engineering at either Clemson, Georgia Tech, or Embry-Riddle,” Crump says. “Before coming to the LTC, I wanted to pursue the route of an engineer, but my time at the LTC revealed just how many paths are available. Every course that I have taken here has not only helped build a technical foundation, but they have built up soft skills that are key to being successful in life.”
One of LTC’s key resources—and a main catalyst for students’ successes—are its instructors. “Many came from industry into teaching,” explains Myers. For instance, Finance and Accounting are taught by a bank manager, a firefighter is the instructor for the South Carolina Fire Academy, a machinist
teaches Machine Technology, contractors oversee the Building Construction Program, an electrician trains the students enrolled in the Electrical Course, nurses provide instruction for the Health Science classes, a digital artist teaches Digital Art and Design, and a chef provides expertise for the Culinary Arts training.
Students who attend schools within Lexington District One are usually offered the opportunity to enroll in LTC classes after they enter high school. Typically, ninth graders must complete specific, required core courses during that academic year, but an informed conversation with their guidance counselor could lay the groundwork for beginning a CTE pathway in their sophomore year. Not surprisingly, these determined pupils typically achieve undeniable success, as statistics show that about 98 percent of
Lexington One’s CTE students graduate from high school on time.
“We want students to challenge themselves in their core academics, develop their character, and gain career experiences that will prepare them for future careers,” affirms Myers, and LTC’s opportunities ensure that this is certainly achievable.
