City and school officials said Wednesday that local businesses could benefit from the new Selma Early College High School program, which could provide them with a highly educated and trained workforce.

The Selma ECHS program, which began last month, was created after a math and science alliance known as SECME awarded a large grant to the Selma City School System.

School officials teamed up with Wallace Community College Selma, Alabama State University and Tuskegee University to create a unique education curriculum designed to give financially burdened students an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and a college degree at the same time.

“We have national corporations supporting this program through their partnership with SECME,” said City Schools Superintendent Dr. James Carter. “We also have to depend on local businesses to support us and help us educate these students so they can join the future workforce.”

Carter invited local business owners and mangers to attend the Selma ECHS dedication ceremony this Friday from 5-7:30p.m. at Selma High School.

During this reception, Carter said, the local business community would be able to meet with representatives from the large national corporations sponsoring Selma ECHS and get a better understanding of how the program works.

“Through working on this program, I’ve come to realize that the corporate world has the same problems as local businesses. They both need workforce development,” said Mayor James Perkins.

“SECME is addressing the problem through this program.”

The 100 selected ninth-graders currently in the ECHS program have to dedicate longer hours at school each day, take college-prep courses, and go to classes nearly year-round.

By the time these students graduate, they will have earned their Associates’ degrees in the fields of Ag Engineering, Aquaculture, Chemistry, engineering, and computer science.

“I consider it seamless education,” said WCCS President Dr. James Mitchell. “It is blurring the lines from the education world to the work force. “This program is a win-win for everybody. It helps to create a world-class workforce.”

Perkins said he would like to see local companies and businesses consider offering internships to students in the ECHS program.

“Some of the corporations sponsoring this program could give our students internships,” Perkins said. “I want local business to embrace the internship concept, because the key to this program’s success is community participation.”