Thousands of area eighth-graders take part Nov. 16 in the SCK Launch Experience at Bowling Green High School.

South Warren Middle School eighth-grader David Hudson had a full day Thursday. He learned about health care careers such as nursing, physical therapy and radiology. He investigated careers in construction, law enforcement and electrical work.

“I’ve learned CPR and a lot of stuff like how much money the different careers make and what the opportunities are,” Hudson said. “The future kinda scares me, but this event opens our eyes to the real world.”

Hudson was among nearly 3,000 eighth-graders on hand for the second SCK LAUNCH (for Learning About Unique and New Careers Here), a Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce event at Bowling Green High School. Those middle schoolers from 11 southcentral Kentucky school districts were exposed to sort of a cornucopia of career opportunities: 43 business partners set up displays and interactive stations that helped the students get hands-on exposure to the world of work.

An outgrowth of the chamber-sponsored “Leader in Me” initiative that teaches a curriculum based on the Stephen Covey book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” in elementary schools, SCK LAUNCH includes a series of classroom lessons that culminate with the career expo held Thursday.

Surveying a BGHS gymnasium packed with eager-to-learn adolescents, Bowling Green Independent School District Superintendent Gary Fields said the SCK LAUNCH program is meeting a need for his and other school systems.

“The chamber has conquered a barrier that has hamstrung us for years – getting from the K-12 school environment to the business environment,” Fields said. “They’re bridging that gap.”

Building that bridge has never been more important, according to Ron Bunch, the chamber’s president and CEO. He pointed out that statistics provided by the labor market data company JobsEQ show the 10-county region has more than 6,000 current job openings. With that number projected to grow in the coming years, said Bunch, events such as SCK LAUNCH are important tools in addressing local workforce needs.

“This is the first opportunity for students to begin to understand the concept of careers and exploring their interests,” Bunch said. “We have an abundance of opportunities here in southcentral Kentucky, and it’s vital that we let our students know that they can have a successful career right here at home.”

To meet that need, chamber Education and Workforce Director Sandra Baker developed a curriculum with the help of a $15,000 grant from AT&T. Using another $20,000 grant from state workforce funds, that curriculum was distributed to middle school classrooms throughout the region. It was designed to help students learn about business sectors, careers within those sectors and education requirements.

Those lessons leading up to Thursday’s event were valuable, said Henry F. Moss Middle School Curriculum Coordinator Taiwanna Bradford.

“Our eighth-grade science teachers were able to teach the career exploration lessons,” she said, “so the students were prepared when they came today. It’s very helpful.

“For students who aren’t sure what they want to do in the future, this will help them shape their ideas before they begin high school.”

Thursday’s expo, helped by a $10,000 grant from U.S. Bank and by title sponsors Western Kentucky University, Graves Gilbert Clinic and Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College, made an impression on Moss Middle School student Trent Stewart, who said seeing the police cars and a firetruck piqued his interest in those careers.

His classmate, Kobe Mitchell, came away with a more general impression.

“I’ve learned what the people in the different jobs have to go through to get those jobs,” he said.

That’s an important lesson, said Ervin Dimeney, the Kentucky Labor Cabinet’s commissioner for work-based standards.

“It’s so important to show kids what these jobs look like,” said Dimeney, who was on hand at BGHS. “They can see what a welding machine is, they can simulate a surgery.

“We need to do this across the state. Kids need the opportunity to engage with the business community.”

Bunch said SCK LAUNCH is already getting attention from around the state. It has grown from strictly a Bowling Green-Warren County event that attracted 1,700 students in its first year to a 10-county event that brought nearly twice as many students in the second year.

“Because of the curriculum we developed, there is interest from around the state,” Bunch said. “Folks from Frankfort and from other school districts have come to see this.”

– Follow business reporter Don Sergent on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.