How young were you when you knew what you wanted to be when you grew up?

Well, Johnston County students could soon have the ability to take classes in high school that will guarantee them a job when they graduate college.

It’s similar to early college, which many local school districts are offering, but they can’t guarantee a paying job like Johnston County Schools.

Academic innovation officer Brandon Garland says the program will allow the growing district to fill a need and retain some of the top talent in Johnston County.

“It’s very exciting,” he said. “We have students who want to give back to the community. They want to be in their community, and they want to find a way to provide that service.”

When in high school, the students who commit to the teacher pipeline program will be connected with internships, co-ops, and earn dual credit classes through Johnston Community College and earn an associate degree in teaching.

“We want to put them through our processes of leadership, curriculum development, and communication so when they come back they want to work with others and serve their community,” Garland added.

They can then transfer those credits directly to North Carolina State University’s College of Education where they can finish their degree in as fast as two years.

However there are still some details to work out in terms of the cost of tuition at N.C. State, and a potential commitment students will have to make to teach in Johnston County.

“Like every other district, we’re a growing district,” said Garland. “We are always looking for bright and dedicated people who would like to come here and work with us. It will be filling a need because Johnston County Schools is a growing vibrant district.”

Johnston County Schools hope to launch this program by 2019 with as many as 50 new teachers graduating from N.C. State every year by 2023.