Creating Partnerships for a Quality Workforce |
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A business conference sponsored by the East Texas School-To-Careers Partnership and the East Texas Tech Prep Consortium was held at the Holiday Inn in Tyler on May 19, 1998. The mission was to enhance partnerships among business, industry, education, community, and government agencies to provide a world-class workforce in the East Texas area. The keynote speaker was Chuck McDonald, Managing News Editor at KETK Television in Tyler-Lonview. The first general session featured Mark Butler, School-To-Careers Coordinator for the Texas Workforce Commission in Austin. The second general session highlighted the work of the Learning for Life--Career Exploring program of Boy Scouts of America. Ronnie Wright, Exploring Director of the East Texas Area Council, was a presenter.
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Tech it
out..... our new shorter web address www.ettp.org
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PRIDE in East Texas Chapel Hill Receives Drafting Awards Chapel Hill High School drafting students received 78 awards at a state Technology Students Association competition.
The students, qualifying through regional TSA competition, won 17 best-in-class awards, 39 first places, 13 second places, and nine third places, said their teacher, Tony Adams.
Tech Prep Seniors Recognized In May, many East Texas high school seniors received Tech Prep certificates of recognition for completion of a Tech Prep four-year plan. To complete the plans, students took part in rigorous academics taught with real-world applications and took the technical classes required in a coherent sequence. As a result of their successful completion of the Tech Prep plan, they earned college credit for the articulated courses required in their plan. The articulated credit will be held in escrow at the community college until the student enrolls and applies for the credit.
First Place Winners From Palestine Sam Craft and Matt Boynton of Palestine High School attended the Technology Students Association State conference. Sam won first place and "Best In State" with his web page. Matt Boynton won first place and "Best In State" with his computer graphics. Sam and Matt were both students in James Fite's computer applications class and were members of the student web club and Technology Students Association who wrote a successful proposal for funds to enhance their computer class with graphics equipment. Welcome School-To-Careers to The University of Texas at Tyler
Welcome East Texas School-To-Careers Partnership to The University of Texas at Tyler. The School-To-Careers Partnership moved from their previous fiscal agent, Gladewater ISD, to UT Tyler on July 1. The Tech Prep staff looks forward to having the School-To-Careers staff office with us. We have several projects planned to work together on. WELCOME Rita Dobbs, Director Bryan Penny, School/Work-based Coordinator Karry McGhehey, Administrative Assistant Tina McCartney, Public/Relations/Media
Employer Comments From February's Groundhog Day Job-Shadowing Lindsay was very responsive, willing to work and experience new things as well as showing signs of being a true team player (Neil Ward, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center) I was impressed with Meme's intelligence and desire to jump right in and try things. All she needs is the appropriate education to back up her abilities. (Genie Hilton, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center) Carla is very bright and very determined. (Marita Currie, Edward Jones) These students are motivated and focused on their respective futures. They will need goal-oriented challenges to keep their focus sharp. (Nelson Clyde IV, Tyler Morning Telegraph)
Longview Economic Development Corporation and East Texas Tech Prep Consortium Put Together Directory to Help Schools and Businesses Interact Next fall, local teachers looking for business interested in developing partnerships with schools will be able to let their fingers do the walking through a new business resource directory. The "Business Resource Directory" is being put together by Longview Economic Development Corporation and East Texas Tech Prep Consortium to help teachers find business willing to host student field trips, employ student interns, act as mentors for students, and other services. LEDCO special projects director Dorrie LoBue mailed between 600 and 700 letters to area industries, retail establishments, doctors, lawyers, small businesses and other firms. The letter asks what type of business the company operates and what kind of things the business would be willing to do to help students. It also asks if the business is interested in providing learning opportunities and in having a more active influence on the education of our future decision makers -- our students The information received from businesses will be compiled into a directory that will be made available to area schools this fall. LoBue said that LEDCO is involved in this project because it will help increase Longview's jobs and tax base. She also said, "We are tying to cultivate the future workforce. When a business prospect comes to town, the first thing they look at is the workforce. A quality workforce -- one with good math and reading skills -- is a good marketing tool. The directory is a tool for the educators. We want to have the directory in school teachers' hands at the beginning of the school year so they can plan things to do with local businesses. LEDCO is trying to provide a forum where business and educators are talking to each other. We need to hear from the people on the assembly line, the line supervisors, and the chief executive officers." Educators can learn what kind of skills businesses are looking for in the local workforce and "schools won't be putting out a product that no one will use, " LoBue added. "We need to hear from everybody in industry, and all those folks need to be talking with educators. We want to keep these kids in Longview. We don't want them moving off to Shreveport or Dallas. We want to show these kids that there are plenty of places to work in Longview where you can make a good living."
Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce School-To-Careers Subcommittee The Business Resource Directory for the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce was completed by the School-To-Careers Subcommittee and the East Texas Tech Prep Consortium last spring and is now in the hands of Tyler Area schools The School-To-Careers Subcommittee produced a 10-minute video about the committee's activities. The video is for students in grades 6 thru 9 to view for career development information. Middle school students can get a taste of the committee's activities, such as Groundhog Day job-shadowing, for them to look forward to when they enter high school. Any Tyler area school that needs more directories or videos may call the Tech Prep office at (903) 566-7318. This year's activities will include a repeat of Groundhog Day job-shadowing, an update of the Business Resource Directory, professional development for employees of businesses who provide support for education, support and awareness of the Learning for Life -- Career Exploring program of Boy Scouts of America, and a Business Conference during Education Week in March. Another major pilot project of the TACC is a Teacher Leadership Program, which the East Texas Tech Prep Consortium is directing along with Sue Bell, Director of Career and Technology at Tyler ISD and chair of the Business and Education Partnership Subcommittee. |
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