More than 600 people visited the Greeneville-Greene County Center for Technology on Thursday evening during its second annual "Career Connections" event and open house.

The event drew many of the 400 local high school students who attend classes at the center and their parents, as well as other interested citizens, according to principal Jerry Ayers.

"It's our desire to bring businesses, industries, medical facilities, and post-secondary schools together for the young people in Greene County to explore career possibilities," said an announcement issued before the event.

"We want to provide students and their families with an array of ideas and information, thereby promoting awareness of local and regional businesses, resources, and educational opportunities."

Ayers said the open house allowed students to take their parents and family members on tours of the center and show them the various career and technical education classes the center offers.

The Center for Technology currently offers 13 career and technical-education programs, Ayers said.

"One of the reasons for doing the Career Connections event is so that we can invite post-secondary schools here to tell our students about the programs they offer," said Tracy Green, the center's community media liaison.

In addition, she said, the Career Connections event was designed to acquaint students and prospective students with the businesses and organizations that hire graduates of the center's technical education programs.

"One of our goals is to expose the students to what's out there and what's available in Greene County."

Schools represented included: Tennessee Technology Center at Morristown, Walters State Community College, Tennessee Technology Center at Elizabethton, Northeast State Community College, Tennessee Technology Center's Greeneville LPN Program and Universal Technical Institute.

Bernadette Keys, an instructor in the licensed practical nursing (LPN) program offered at Laughlin Memorial Hospital by the Greeneville branch of the Tennessee Technology Center at Morristown, said during an interview that 30 students are currently taking the one-year LPN course here.

She said a number of the LPN course participants are "displaced workers" who chose to the enter nursing after losing their jobs at area industries. Others, she said, are recent high school graduates.

In addition, Green said, the Career Connections program drew representatives of business, health-service providers and other organizations that hire Center of Technology graduates.

Among the participating organizations were Greene County Skills, Takoma Regional Hospital, Laughlin Memorial Hospital, Smoky Mountain Home Health and Hospice, Greene Valley Developmental Center, the Greene County Sheriff's Department, the Tennessee National Guard, Signature Healthcare, Kid-Sit and the Greeneville Police Department.

Jack Lister, Takoma Regional Hospital's human resources director, and Traci L. Ellison, his executive assistant, said they were seeking to acquaint students who are taking part in the Center for Technology's health sciences programs with employment opportunities at their hospital.

Lister said one of the greatest current employment needs of hospitals such as Takoma Regional is for licensed physical therapists.

He said he encourages Center for Technology students to pursue physical therapy programs in post-secondary schools.

Visiting the Takoma Regional Hospital booth were Greeneville High student Seth Smith, and his mother, Arlene Large. Smith is a junior volunteer at Takoma Regional and interested in a career in emergency medicine.

His mother said Smith is taking health science classes at the Center for Technology and that he maintains a 4.0 grade-point average while also participating in band at GHS.

Smith, a sophomore at Greeneville High School, said he hopes to become a physician.

Also staffing booths were representatives of the Greeneville Police Department and the Greene County Sheriff's Department.

GPD Lt. Tim Hartman and Officer Clifford Lawing were explaining how the Greeneville-Greene County Special Response Team uses specialized equipment for everything from hostage situations to riot control.

Nearby, Sheriff's Lt. Edward Yokley had on display weapons used by his department, including an AR-15 rifle and a shotgun, along with a "spike strip" kit that sheriff's deputies use to deflate the tires of fleeing vehicles.

In addition to meeting with prospective employers and representatives of post-secondary schools, many visitors toured its classrooms, laboratories and shops.

In the computer technology laboratory, instructor Chris Dotson was showing visitors personal computers that his students had built and explaining that students in the computer technology program can learn computer-repair, computer networking, and computer and communications cable installation and repair skills.

Graduates of the program are prepared to work in computer repair, computer networking and telecommunications fields, Dotson said.

In the machine-tool technology shop, instructor Elliott GeFellers was watching as students used metal lathes to make special metal tools they will need to complete metal-working projects.

GeFellers noted that in addition to traditional manually controlled machine tools, machine tool technology students learn to use sophisticated Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machine tools.

On display near two of the CNC machines were several intricate projects that students had completed using the advanced machine tools. One of the student projects on display was a shiny chess set that had been machined from solid metal.

Meanwhile, in the automotive technology shop, instructor James Wilds was watching as students worked on various automobile repair projects.

Wilds said about 60 students are taking automotive technology classes.

He said that students learn about engine performance, automotive electrical and electronic systems, suspension, steering and brake repair.

"I like to mix in a little automatic transmission work and air conditioning maintenance," Wilds added.

Kirk Alexander and Damien Paysinger, two of Wilds' students were working on projects.

Alexander said he has been accepted at the National Auto Diesel College in Nashville. Paysinger said he expects to attend a post-secondary motorcycle maintenance school in Florida.