WARNER ROBINS -- As a father of three children, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said he knows education isn’t one size fits all.

That’s why he said he is such a supporter of career academics, which are designed not only to meet the needs of the students, but also the communities they live in.

Cagle made the remarks at Thursday’s dedication of the Houston County Career Academy -- the county’s first charter school. About 100 business, community and political leaders filled a newly renovated engineering classroom to celebrate the event.

A partnership between the Houston County Board of Education, Middle Georgia Technical College, Robins Air Force Base and the business community at large, the school aims to prepare students to meet local needs, either by directly entering the work force or continuing education in college, Houston schools Superintendent Robin Hines said.

Hines said the idea was first studied in 2008, and the school system received a $3 million grant from the state to create the academy, which was formerly the Houston County Career and Technology Center.

Cagle, who Hines said has been a driving force behind career academies in Georgia, said there are 21 career academies across the state, and six more are being added next month.

Career academies boast a 98 percent graduation rate, and a 100 percent placement rate in either the work force or college, Cagle said. And once those students enter the work force, they earn on average $32,000 -- double that of the average high school graduate, he said.

About 80 percent of the work force of tomorrow needs technical training, Cagle said. A career academy is one way to fill that need, he said.

“This is one tool in the tool box,” he said.

To contact writer Jennifer Burk, call 256-9705.