UNION COUNTY, N.C. —  Union County Public Schools held a variety of new summer camps aimed at career exploration and development. 

The 22 summer accelerator camps are meant for the district’s middle and high school students. The camps are free, but do not provide transportation and are meant as a grade-less way to expand education opportunities in the summer with some hands-on career skills.

“UCPS is always looking for opportunities to help students connect, collaborate and create. These summer camps allowed middle and high school students to explore careers, attend field trips, work with their peers and have fun. It’s an extension of the classroom during summer months,” the district told Spectrum News 1.

The high school camps are a little more focused to specific, in-demand career fields, like automotive service and collision repair, manufacturing, health sciences, food service and construction.

“There’s no test, no curriculum, no anything. So, it’s just kids are having an opportunity to come and work in the shop,” said instructor Roger Pressley.

Pressley was tapped to teach the first two-week automotive service and collision repair course camp at UCPS’ Central Academy of Technology and Arts (CATA). Pressley is in his 19th year of teaching at CATA, after 20 years as a dealership service technician.

His camp is just one of the five focused high school camps meant to connect students with in-demand jobs and careers.

“The need is great, especially in our area, I can speak on that. We were work[ing] with a lot of industry partners that are really desperate for people coming into the industry. A lot of the industry is aging out, you’re getting a lot of the technicians. And it’s not just automotive, but in a lot of the service industries,” Pressley said.

And, he said the careers can be quite lucrative right out of high school.

"There’s a lot of businesses that are paying for schooling, if you want to go to like the community college or something, they’re paying for that. They’re helping pay for tools. Tools are a big expense. So, the young people now that are going into this industry, they’re really in the driver’s seat as far as their careers. It’s a huge need,” Pressley added.

His camp is a combination of teaching in a real-world auto repair shop and virtual reality driven simulations.

“It’s really neat, they can go on, they can change oil on a car, put breaks on a car, they can do all this through these headsets. So, it gives them an idea of what they’re doing,” Pressley said about the camp’s new VR headsets. 

Students from across the district’s high schools participated, like 15-year-old Piedmont High School student Zachary Bumgarner. Bumgarner said fixing cars is a passion.

“Cause I want to be a mechanic in the Air Force, just like my brother,” Bumgarner said while examining the engine well of his truck.

As part of the camp, Bumgarner was encouraged to run diagnostics on his own truck after he noticed a problem on the drive in.

“We found out so far that it’s a misfire,” Bumgarner said, while reviewing an iPad with Pressley. 

Bumgarner is the type of student UCPS said it was hoping would enroll in the summer camp. He had already completed a class in automotive fundamentals at Piedmont High this past year, and was looking to add to his growing skillset in the garage.

“I just like being outdoors and being helpful with other people, and I want to help people,” Bumgarner said.

UCPS said it already had plans to expand the camps next summer, which will give more instructors, like Pressley, the opportunity to share their passion with future generations.

“It’s nice to see them get excited about something that will be a great career for them. And who knows, 20 years, he could be here, standing right here in front of you,” Pressley said.