Beaufort County Community College will host its annual Assessment Day on Aug. 20, giving area residents the opportunity to assess their capabilities in acquiring high school equivalency degrees.

The event will feature the college’s Basic Skills staff giving participants one-on-one instruction after they’ve taken a Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE), which will gauge their capabilities in both reading comprehension and mathematics. Each assessment will be graded following its completion and the staff will advise participants on what they should do and how to go about doing it.

This event is very important for those who may have made some bad choices in the past or, for circumstances beyond their control, were unable to complete high school. In today’s job market, it is hard to find a good job without a college degree. It is even more difficult to get a job without a high school diploma or its equivalent. This event gives these people a second chance at having a high school education, making them eligible for not only better jobs, but also eligible to enroll in college coursework.

Ultimately, this offering by the college means more opportunities for both job seekers and employers. The more people who are job-qualified, the easier it is for businesses to find good employees and grow their business. This, over time, helps the county economically.

The college realizes the economic struggle of county residents, particularly those who are looking to gain their high school equivalency degree. As a result, the college hosted its inaugural Gullfest this summer, a festival-like event that showcased a variety of vendors, arts and crafts, food, a car show, musical acts and mini-fundraisers. One of the fundraisers, a mock jail, raised over $2,500 in scholarship money for those who want to get their GED, but cannot afford the $80 fee to do so. This scholarship money will pay for around 50 students to be able to take the test.

Those who attend Assessment Day next week and find that after taking the TABE, are ready to take their GED exam, may very well find themselves a recipient of one of those scholarships.