Find slideshow presentations and video recordings (YouTube) of the sessions below.
OPENING PLENARY SESSION, DAY 1
9:00–10:00 a.m.
WELCOME
Sharon W. Acuff
Program Administrator and Workforce Development Coordinator
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Virginia Department of Education
SECONDARY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
William Hatch, J.D.
Associate Director for Program Administration and Workforce Development
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Virginia Department of Education
INTRODUCTION OF KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. J. Anthony Williams, Director
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Virginia Department of Education
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Zachary Jacobs
Assistant Secretary
Office of the Secretary of Education
Commonwealth of Virginia
Testimonial from Alleghany County Health Science student Orchid Tucker (video)
BREAK
10:00–10:15 a.m.
SESSION I WORKSHOPS
10:15–11:00 a.m.
I.1 Job Shadowing for Student Success
Katie Bledsoe, Career Specialist, Albemarle County Public Schools
Dr. Lori Martin, Supervisor, Career and Technical Education, Chesapeake Public Schools
Session attendees will learn how job shadowing experiences allow students to observe tasks performed on the job, along with outcomes for students who participated. Hear how Albemarle County Public Schools partnered with local businesses to engage in career and technical education (CTE) High-Quality Work-Based Learning (HQWBL) experiences for students. Career exploration and job shadowing field trips will be highlighted. Learn how Chesapeake Public Schools hosted “Take a Peake Job Shadowing Day.” The event provided students with the opportunity to shadow a professional for a day in the workplace.
Albemarle County Public Schools slideshow presentation (PDF)
Chesapeake Public Schools slideshow presentation (PDF)
NOTE: We could not post a recording for this session because of technical issues. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the session presenters. Their contact information is located in the slideshow presentations above. Thank you.
I.2 Creating a Regional Collaborative for Youth Registered Apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship
Mark Jones, Supervisor, Career and Technical Education, Roanoke County Public Schools
James Soltis, Assistant Superintendent, Salem Public Schools
Jason Suhr, Director, Career and Technical Education, Roanoke County Public Schools
Jess Truax, Work-Based Learning Coordinator, Roanoke Public Schools
Hear how Roanoke County, Salem, and Roanoke Public Schools collaborate to offer a cohesive and consistent message to businesses that consider Youth Registered Apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship tools in their workforce development toolbox. Attendees will leave with a list of reasons for collaborating with neighboring local education agencies when offering CTE HQWBL opportunities as well as resources that can be tailored for use in their area of the commonwealth.
I.3 Growing Our Own: From Our Schools to Our Workforce
Matthew Bechtel, Work-Based Learning Specialist, Fairfax County Public Schools
Leah Ross, Work-Based Learning Specialist, Fairfax County Public Schools
Bonnie Wannett, Senior Career Experience Specialist, Fairfax County Public Schools
Explore Fairfax County Public Schools’ innovative approach to combating employee shortages and migrating talent pools. The Grow Your Own programs identify and support students interested in pursuing a teaching career and other school-related operational pathways. The Grow Your Own programs support students to explore opportunities while in class and train for careers with hands-on internship opportunities, and they make learning real. Current programs include the special education teaching licensing cohort, Educators Rising CTSO, early childhood careers, Teachers for Tomorrow, Trades for Tomorrow, Technology for Tomorrow pathways. Learn how to plan and activate a Grow Your Own talent recruitment program for your school division.
I.4 Building and Sustaining Successful Chamber Partnerships
Emily Webb, Vice President of Education and Workforce Development, Virginia Chamber of Commerce
Interested in learning how to build and sustain a partnership with your local chamber of commerce to increase career awareness, support career pathways, and grow CTE HQWBL opportunities for your students? This panel discussion will showcase the work of local chambers and the collaboration with local school divisions cultivating CTE HQWBL opportunities across the commonwealth and engaging with local employers.
BREAK
11:00–11:15 a.m.
SESSION II WORKSHOPS
11:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
II.1 Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers: A Model for Growing CTE HQWBL Opportunities
Cynthia Lawrence, Director, Office of Workforce Development, Carilion Clinic
Katy Thompson, Senior Human Resource Consultant, Carilion Clinic
Tara Wiedeman, Senior Director, Talent Acquisition and Organizational Development, Carilion Clinic
The Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers is a collaboration of educators, employers, and economic development professionals in GO Virginia Region 2, which includes the areas of Roanoke, New River Valley, Alleghany and greater Lynchburg. This employer-led coalition follows a collective-impact model to align and integrate actions of over 48 stakeholder groups, all striving to support the emerging health and life-sciences sector. Carilion Clinic serves as the anchor organization, providing staff and overseeing efforts to improve health sciences education to meet the workforce needs in our region. Join this session to learn how you might be able to participate in a partnership in your area.
II.2 Incorporating Impactful CTE HQWBL Success Stories to Support Students with Disabilities
Seth Black, Director, Career and Technical Education, Hampton Public Schools
Sherry Hildebrandt, Transition Specialist, Hampton Public Schools
Kelly E. Ligon, Research and Demonstration Associate, Center on Transition Innovations and Transition Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
Have you noticed some students in your CTE classes may need extra support or a different type of support in removing barriers to employment? One often-missed opportunity is the use of collaborative community partnerships combined with HQWBL that reach beyond the traditional CTE classroom to support students with a disability. During this session, we will introduce a CTE program called “Start on Success,” which brings this collaborative opportunity to light. Join the discussion on how these collaborative practices can remove barriers and improve postsecondary outcomes for all CTE students.
II.3 Career and Technical Education High-Quality Work-Based Learning Success Stories
Natalie Barnette, Account Executive, Convergint Technologies
Braden Croy, Program Director, Dominion Energy Innovation Center
Jazzlyn Fernandez, Student (double major): Medicine, Science and Humanities, and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
Conner Reid, Student (double major): Business and Economics, Virginia Military Institute
Have you ever wondered what impact CTE HQWBL has had on your former students? By attending this session, you will hear from four recent graduates as they share their experiences on the positive impact of CTE HQWBL. Find out why early engagement is essential and how these workforce opportunities have led to the potential for future career success.
II.4 Creating IT Apprenticeships
Debby Hopkins, Director, Workforce Initiatives, Appteon Inc.
Careers in technology provide opportunities to protect our country from hostile cybersecurity attacks, convert wind energy into electricity, enhance brand awareness through digital media, and design applications for use across mobile devices. All of these exciting careers and more are possible through apprenticeships. In this session, you will gain insights into tech apprenticeship pathways, examine apprenticeship models, and discuss the proposed CTE apprenticeship.
LUNCH
12:00–12:45 p.m.
PLENARY SESSION:
VIRGINIA ACTE WORK-BASED LEARNING AND VDOE CTE HQWBL UPDATES
12:45–1:30 p.m.
VIRGINIA ACTE WORK-BASED LEARNING UPDATE
Adriane Graham
Virginia Work-Based Learning (VAWBL) Division Representative
Virginia Association for Career and Technical Education (Virginia ACTE)
Virginia ACTE Work-Based Learning Update slideshow presentation (PDF)
VDOE CTE HQWBL GUIDE UPDATE
Sharon Acuff
Program Administration and Workforce Development Coordinator
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Virginia Department of Education
VDOE CTE HQWBL Guide Update slideshow presentation (PDF)
BREAK
1:30–1:45 p.m.
SESSION III WORKSHOPS
1:45–2:30 p.m.
III.1 CTE HQWBL 101: Where to Start?
Dr. Tammy Hurt, Secondary Workforce Development Specialist, Region 8, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Virginia Department of Education
Erika Temple, Secondary Workforce Development Specialist, Region 1, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Virginia Department of Education
Are you new to the CTE HQWBL arena or a seasoned veteran? During this interactive session, you will be guided through the nuts and bolts of what is needed to have HQWBL within your school division including what defines a CTE HQWBL experience, resources for supporting students with disabilities and English learners, and information regarding federal and state regulations.
III.2 Virginia Child Labor Laws and Regulations
Robert Armstrong, Assistant Director, Labor and Employment Law, Department of Labor and Industry—Child Labor
What is the age requirement to send our students out to work? Where do I find the regulations for students working in their chosen career path? If you have questions, this session will address new legislation regarding child labor laws and review any changes to existing laws and regulations, including the change to minimum wage and what that means for CTE students.
NOTE: We could not post a recording for this session because of technical issues. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the session presenter. His contact information is located in the slideshow presentation above. Thank you.
III.3 Keys to a High-Quality School-Based Enterprise Experience
Catherine Lewis, Business Teacher, Alexandria Public Schools
This session will focus on how to start and maintain a student-led operation that provides goods to meet the needs of your school-based community. It will also detail how to create, manage, and operate a profitable hands-on SBE while following national curriculum standards in marketing, finance, hospitality, or management. This presentation will explain the five key elements needed to organize, build, and operate a profitable, award-winning SBE.
III.4 Establishing CTE HQWBL Experiences with the Virginia Spaceport Authority
Sidnee McGee, Chief of Education and Intern Development, Virginia Commercial Spaceport Flight Authority
Would you like to expand the number of business partners who offer CTE HQWBL experiences for your students? Here’s your opportunity. In this interactive session, learn how you can collaborate with the Virginia Spaceport Authority to increase CTE HQWBL opportunities for students in your school division.
OPENING PLENARY SESSION, DAY 2
9:00–10:00 a.m.
WELCOME
Sharon W. Acuff
Program Administrator and Workforce Development Coordinator
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Virginia Department of Education
INTRODUCTION OF KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. J. Anthony Williams
Director
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Virginia Department of Education
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Liza Walker Mickens
Social Media Coordinator
Virginia Tourism Corporation
Testimonial from CTE Career Success Star Keonte Edmonds (video)
BREAK
10:00–10:15 a.m.
SESSION IV WORKSHOPS
10:15–11:00 a.m.
IV.1 Externships: Let’s Go!
Emily Hall, Career Counseling Specialist, Spotsylvania County Public Schools
Michael Hill, Coordinator, Career and Technical Education, Portsmouth Public Schools
Latrice Scott, Specialist, Career and Technical Education, Portsmouth Public Schools
Sue Venable-Shelton, Supervisor, Career and Technical Education, Spotsylvania County Public Schools
This session provides two perspectives on how externships can prepare students for the workforce. Learn how Spotsylvania County Public Schools is using a 40-hour externship program and career readiness paraprofessionals to achieve access for all students with career goals. Using a comprehensive SWOT program analysis, Portsmouth Public Schools has built a successful externship program. Best practices for how to recruit partners and participants, prepare students for the experience, and manage the overall program will be shared.
Portsmouth Public Schools slideshow presentation (PDF)
Spotsylvania County Public Schools slideshow presentation (PDF)
IV.2 Excellence Programs that Provide Students with CTE HQWBL Experiences
Summer Stone, Principal, Career and Technical Education Coordinator, Wythe County Public Schools
Wythe County Public Schools offers two programs that provide students opportunities for certifications and experiences, specifically in health care and manufacturing. Students tour factories and healthcare facilities to see job opportunities Wythe County has to offer and how Wythe County Public Schools can prepare them for these jobs. This opportunity gives students a CTE HQWBL experience and help as they plan for their future.
IV.3 Providing More Work-Based Learning Experiences
Mac Beaton, Director, Workforce and Career Development, Henrico County Public Schools
Beverly Cocke, Administrative Coordinator, Workforce and Career Development, Henrico County Public Schools
Henrico County Public Schools will present several out-of-the-box ways to offer students more career experiences and WBL opportunities, such as offering internships and school-based enterprise experiences that knock down the transportation barriers and make career fairs more actionable. Learn about a service-learning opportunity where seniors share their career pathway knowledge with elementary and middle school students. Keys to building successful partnerships will also be shared.
IV.4 Connecting the Internship Experience
Dr. Barbara Blake, Executive Director, Monarch Internship & Co-Op Office, Old Dominion University
Monarch Internship & Co-Op Office (MICO) serves as the central unit for supporting work-based learning initiatives at Old Dominion University. This office provides advising and support to students, collaborating with employers and working with academic departments to expand work-based learning curricula. During this session, the audience will learn how MICO collaborates with local school divisions to ensure that K-12 students are prepared to participate in CTE HQWBL opportunities. Resources for building a strong CTE HQWBL program will also be shared.
BREAK
11:00–11:15 a.m.
SESSION V WORKSHOPS
11:15 a.m. 12:00 p.m.
V.1 11,803 Reasons Work-Based Learning Works
Chad Maclin, Director, Career and Technical Education, Chesterfield County Public Schools
Katy Stokes, Coordinator, Work-Based Learning, Chesterfield County Public Schools
Session attendees will receive an introduction to strategies for planning and implementing opportunities that follow the WBL continuum. The presenters will lead a discussion addressing Chesterfield County Public School’s WBL program implementation, challenges and barriers, employer partnerships, assessment measures, and resources specific to career awareness, career exploration, and career preparation along the WBL continuum. Tips on developing a plan of action, marketing materials and promotion ideas, forms and tools for coordinators, and reports and data collection will be provided.
V.2 Crater Region Reverse Career Fair
Burke George, Coordinator, Career and Technical Education, Dinwiddie County Public Schools
This session will provide an overview of the Crater Region Reverse Career Fair model. The Crater Region Reverse Career Fair includes multiple small school districts that come together for this initiative, where seniors preparing to enter the workforce upon graduation meet with local employers seeking to hire for entry-level positions and apprenticeships.
V.3 CTE HQWBL: Coordinating Your Program
Dr. Tammy Hurt, Secondary Workforce Development Specialist, Region 8, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Virginia Department of Education
Erika Temple, Secondary Workforce Development Specialist, Region 1, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Virginia Department of Education
Need a CTE HQWBL refresher? This session will provide a walkthrough of coordinating CTE HQWBL experiences, including WBL designee qualifications, promotion of CTE HQWBL experiences, student recruitment, parent and guardian engagement, employer collaboration, and forms and insurance for implementing a CTE HQWBL experience from start to finish.
LUNCH
12:00–12:45 p.m.
PLENARY SESSION:
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CONVERSATION
12:45–1:30 p.m.
Carrie Roth, Director, Virginia Works, Department of Workforce Development and Advancement
Debbie Melvin, Assistant Vice President, Regional Talent Solutions and Business Outreach, Virginia Economic Development Partnership
BREAK
1:30–1:45 p.m.
PLENARY SESSION:
WHAT IS VIRGINIA WORKS?
1:45–2:30
Angela Kelly-Wiecek, Chief Deputy Director, Virginia Works, Department of Workforce Development and Advancement
BREAK
2:30–2:45 p.m.
PLENARY CLOSING SESSION
2:45–3:30 p.m.
WELCOME
Sharon W. Acuff
Program Administration and Workforce Development Coordinator
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Virginia Department of Education
INTRODUCTION OF KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. J. Anthony Williams
Director
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Virginia Department of Education
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Nicole Overley
Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development
Office of the Secretary of Labor
Commonwealth of Virginia
Testimonial from CTE Career Success Star Kat McDearis (video)
EXHIBITOR SHOWCASE
Welcome and Introduction to the Exhibitor Showcase Video, Virginia Department of Education Secondary Workforce Development Specialist Team
A special thank you to the exhibitors supporting CTE Experience Works 2024: Pathways for the Future. Click on each link to view the exhibitor’s prerecorded video.
Associated General Contractors of Virginia | Build Your Future Virginia
Courtney Baker, Director of Workforce and Training
Building a bridge between education and industry: Research shows that educators and counselors want to talk to students about the opportunities in construction. They just do not know enough about the industry to lead those conversations. With growing requirements surrounding work-based learning and career mapping, how does a person navigate a career pathway into an industry they are not familiar with? The good news is you do not have to have all the answers. We want to bridge that gap to your greatest resource: your local community. This presentation will leave you with practical classroom tools and a better understanding of steps towards making construction a career. But even more so, we hope to convey how healthy community partnerships with construction companies can help you and your diverse range of students explore construction as a viable career option.
Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers
Cynthia Lawrence, Director, Office of Workforce Development, Carilion Clinic
The Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers is a collaboration among educators, employers, and economic development professionals in the Roanoke and New River Valleys, the Alleghany Highlands, and the greater Lynchburg region. As members of GO Virginia Region 2, we’re committed to improving health sciences education and aligning instruction to meet the workforce needs of the region’s health employers, including hospitals, health systems, long-term care facilities, and emerging biomedical companies. Our partnership uses a new model for health sciences education and workforce development. The model aligns with the region’s economic development and job-growth goals to establish practical talent pathways, meet employer needs, promote entrepreneurship, and provide meaningful health careers.
Bryant & Stratton College
Carolene Goodwyn-Harris, Market Director of Business Development and Community Relations
Bryant & Stratton College, a private nonprofit institution, offers a personalized career education and experience leading to high-demand professions so graduates are prepared for their career and life pursuits. Bryant & Stratton College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and offers accelerated programs. Our stackable degree programs let you progress to graduation one step at a time, so you can earn a bachelor’s degree in less than three years. We also offer career-focused education, whereby non-major-related courses are limited, and the majority of your courses are directly related toward your program of study. We also offer small class sizes with personalized attention and hands-on experiences. Further, students will be supported and advised in the classroom, during internships, and throughout their career search.
CTE Resource Center
The CTE Resource Center is the state’s repository for all CTE courses taught in Virginia’s public schools. This presentation will help businesses get acclimated to what is offered throughout Virginia and help educators learn different means of searching for courses, viewing competencies, and importing competencies into various learning management systems.
EVERFI
Erin Dlott, EVERFI District Success Lead
EVERFI’s online activities cover the critical life skills students need to be successful — college and career readiness, financial literacy, interpersonal skills, mental wellness, literacy skills, and more — and they’re all free. The online lessons are self-guided, and the built-in assessments give teachers automatic feedback on student progress and understanding. In addition to their online offerings, EVERFI offers offline lesson plans and companion resources to support the online lessons, creating a truly blended experience. This session will provide educators with resources to support Virginia’s financial-literacy standards and career-readiness requirements. Through a whole-child approach, teachers will leave equipped with resources and strategies to prepare students to successfully navigate these important topics in their everyday lives. Reach out to your local EVERFI team with any questions at k12east@everfi.com.
GO TEC
Angela Rigney, GO TEC Director
Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC) will stimulate job growth within the commonwealth by creating dependable talent pipelines in strategic sectors, fostered through public and private partnerships. GO TEC delivers workforce training and talent development through a collaborative, hub-and-spoke model that involves K12 school systems, higher education, and industry. Starting in middle school Career Connections Labs and continuing through high school, dual enrollment, and postsecondary programs, GO TEC engages students in hands-on learning in high-demand career pathways such as precision machining, welding, IT coding and networking, automation and robotics, engineering, metrology, and healthcare technologies. The program provides a sustainable talent pipeline for strategic industry sectors. More than 9,000 students from 44 different middle schools from Abingdon to Virginia Beach will interact with the GO TEC Career Connections curriculum annually starting in the 2024-2025 school year.
GO TEC is primarily administered by the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research and supported by three in-region coordinating entities – the United Way of Southwest Virginia (now known as Endless Opportunity [EO]), the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing, and Old Dominion University Research Foundation.
Iron Mountain Data Center
Jay Mitchell, Operation Manager
Iron Mountain Data Centers operates a global colocation platform that enables customers to build tailored, sustainable, carrier, and cloud-neutral data solutions. As a proud part of Iron Mountain Inc., a world leader in the secure management of data and assets trusted by more than 90 percent of the Fortune 1000, we are uniquely positioned to protect, connect and activate high-value customer data. We lead the data center industry in highly regulated compliance support, environmental sustainability, physical security and business continuity. We collaborate with more than 1,300 customers to build and support their long-term digital transformation needs within our global footprint spanning three continents.
MENTOR Virginia
Tamice Spencer-Helms, Learning Facilitator/Curriculum Developer
MENTOR Virginia is a nonprofit organization that provides effective training and support to mentors and mentoring programs across Virginia. MENTOR Virginia leads the mentoring movement in Virginia to address “mentoring gaps” by raising collective awareness about the intervention and investment of mentoring with community stakeholders, public officials, school leaders, and potential volunteers. In today’s fast-paced world, mentors and youth leaders face unprecedented challenges. Burnout and compassion fatigue are rampant, threatening not only the well-being of these vital community pillars but also their ability to foster growth and resilience in the young people they serve. The need for a radical shift in how we support and empower these leaders has never been more critical. Through soulful practices grounded in mindfulness and personal tradition, integrated/intersectional identity development, and modern psychology, we offer mentors and leaders the tools to address the soul of their leadership in a way no other curriculum does.
Pathful
Christina Riddagh, Senior Account Executive
Pathful is the K-16 workforce readiness system that integrates college and career exploration, work-based learning and employability platforms, content and services in one affordable solution.
Rubin
Danny Rubin, Founder
Rubin is the leader in online resources for business communication skills. The company provides curriculum for skills like phone etiquette, networking, and job interviews. They also offer a digital library of career exploration videos. Be sure to explore Rubin’s newest resource, a revolutionary tool for Gmail and Outlook called Propel. Propel teaches students how to write a professional email. Imagine no more student emails that look like text messages! Propel does not use AI and does not save personal identifiable information. Learn why a student in Northern Virginia said: “Oh my gosh. Propel is amazing!”
Virginia Association of Surveyors
John Palatiello, Executive Director
Stephen Letchford, President
The Virginia Association of Surveyors (VAS) is a nonprofit professional society of licensed land surveyors throughout the commonwealth. VAS was established in 1948 to promote the best practices of our members, provide a forum for discussion, and offer professional development courses to licensed, practicing surveyors in the commonwealth.
Surveying is an exciting and rewarding career. Surveyors and technicians who assist in the practice of surveying play an important part in the U.S. economy. These professionals and their support technicians make accurate measurements of the land, structures, and natural and man-made features, and determine property boundaries. As part of the geospatial workforce, surveyors and technicians provide data relevant to the size, shape, contour, gravitation, location, elevation, and dimensions of land and features on or near the earth’s surface. For more information, visit www. vasurveyors.org.
Virginia Credit Union
Tori Filas, Senior Financial Success Educator
Virginia Credit Union (VACU) is a not-for-profit organization that serves our members, the owners of our financial cooperative. Beyond everyday personal and business banking needs, we offer loans and mortgages, insurance, investments, and free education through VACU and our affiliated partners. VACU’s award-winning financial education programs serve learners from kindergarten to college and beyond. Last year, VACU reached over 300 educators through teacher-training programs and presented to nearly 100 CTE teachers across the state as part of the Finance career cluster. Over 100,000 Virginia students participated in our financial education programs in 2023. Our team of financial educators focuses on banking basics: setting up accounts, direct deposit, the costs of being unbanked, and other personal finance topics. We also emphasize the importance of investing in one’s earning potential through education and credentialing and discuss the effects of credit history on employment opportunities. Through our HQWBL lessons, we expose students to potential careers in the finance industry and assist with workforce readiness. Email the VACU financial education team today for more information at financialeducation@vacu.org.
Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services
Patricia Hodge, Statewide Transition Specialist-Staff Development, Divison of Rehabilitative
Services
The Division of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) works together with students, youth, families, schools, and community agencies and organizations to provide services that promote successful transitions from school to work and adult life. DRS offers two sets of services to help students with disabilities move from school to post-school life: pre-employment transition services and vocational rehabilitation transition services.
Virginia Department of Aviation
Betty Wilson, PR and Education Manager
David Halstead, PR and Education Coordinator
Tony Sotelo, PR and Education Specialist
With the ICON A5 Introduction to Flight Program, students are introduced to general aviation aircraft and aviation careers without having to leave their schools. The Virginia Department of Aviation offers this and other aviation education programs to students of all ages across the commonwealth. There is a huge shortage of pilots, aviation mechanics, and other workers throughout the aviation industry. We want students to understand all the aviation-related opportunities available to them.
Virginia Department of Transportation
Syndra Yancey, Outreach Program Manager
Logan Sanchez, Talent Acquisition Specialist
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the state’s roads, bridges, and tunnels. Virginia has the third-largest state-maintained highway system in the country, behind Texas and North Carolina. Through the Commonwealth Transportation Board, VDOT also provides funding for airports, seaports, and rail and public transportation.
Virginia Lottery
At the Virginia Lottery, we take playing seriously. Fun matters, excitement matters, and so does the education of Virginia’s youngest residents. It’s the reason we play so enthusiastically. Every time you scratch a ticket or pick your numbers for the big jackpot, you are creating winners in education all over Virginia. Last year, the lottery contributed more than $867 million to Virginia’s public schools, more than $2.3 million per day. Since 1999, the Virginia Lottery has generated more than $12 billion for Virginia’s public schools.
Additionally, we take every opportunity to celebrate all that our teachers do every day to expand the possibilities for Virginia’s future leaders. That’s why we like to go the extra mile for teachers. We do this by recognizing thousands of teachers during National Teacher Appreciation Week, sponsoring dozens of professional education organizations, visiting schools with special recognitions and volunteering in classrooms across the state. The Virginia Lottery is a WIN for public education in the commonwealth!
Virginia Space Grant Consortium
Chris Carter, Director
Mary Sandy, Director Emeritus
Ian Cawthray, STEM Education Specialist
Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) programs offer problem-based, real-world projects and interaction with practicing professionals in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field. This video features the Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars (VASTS) program, which offers high school juniors and seniors an immersive online course focused on aerospace engineering, physics, and other STEM subjects as they relate to NASA’s human exploration mission. The course is free, and the top performers are selected to attend one of three residential, one-week summer academies at NASA Langley Research Center. At the summer academy, students design a human mission to Mars, work in NASA mission team member roles, and engage with NASA and industry mentors. Students receive five free college credits for the program. VSGC offers several other free programs for Virginia students, and all have won “Programs That Work” awards from the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition, and several have received NASA Achievement Awards.
The Virginia Earth System Science Scholars (VESSS) program provides an online Earth Systems Science course followed by two one-week summer academies at NASA Langley at which students design and defend a new scientific mission to address one of the key science issues identified in the National Academies Decadal Survey. Participants receive five dual-enrollment college credits for VESSS. Virginia Space Coast Scholars engages high school sophomores in an online course that is focused on missions led by NASA Wallops Flight Facility. The top performing students are selected to attend one of three one-week academies at NASA Wallops Flight Facility in which students learn about scientific missions and develop and propose their own mission working with NASA scientists and engineers.
VSGC also offers an immersive, three-day summer residential STEM experience for rising ninth- and tenth-graders hosted by five Virginia universities. The program is called BLAST (Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology).
Virginia Spaceport Authority
Ted Mercer, CEO and Executive Director
Sidnee McGee, Chief of Education and Intern Development
As the digital age continues to demand increased accessibility and reliability of information and data from space-based technologies, both the federal government and private industry are expected to match this demand with continued and unprecedented commercial space investments over the coming years. This will create a growing demand for multi-purpose launch facilities that can support diverse missions and customers. The Virginia Spaceport Authority (VSA) is prepared to seize this opportunity to further establish the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) as the premier launch facility for small- and mid-class rocket systems and grow its reputation as an innovative, multi-purpose facility with capabilities to support national security missions and civil and commercial activities.
The VSA, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, owns and operates the MARS. This spaceport includes three launch pads, an unmanned aerial systems airfield, a payload processing facility, an integration and control facility, and assembly integration and test facility, and the Addison logistics building. These facilities are located on the Eastern Shore at Wallops Island.
Virginia Society of CPAs
Molly Wash, Pipeline and Diversity Outreach Director
The Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA) is the leading professional association in the commonwealth dedicated to empowering its members and all certified public accountants (CPAs) to thrive. Founded in 1909, VSCPA membership consists of nearly 13,000 members who actively work in many different sectors including public accounting, private industry, government agencies, non-profits, entrepreneurial endeavors, educational institutions, and much more.
Most importantly, the VSCPA is committed to promoting the benefits of the CPA profession for the next generation and ensuring the profession increases its diversity and remains vibrant for years to come. Ready to introduce your students to the endless opportunities of a career in accounting? Get a CPA to visit your classroom, attend a career fair, visit a school club, or host a job shadowing opportunity through VSCPA’s CPAs in the Classroom program.
Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance
Gordon Dixon, Executive Vice President
The Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance (VTCA) is a trade association representing road construction, engineering firms, heavy equipment and repair firms, and rock quarries in every locality in Virginia. The transportation construction industry has a bevy of job opportunities. Companies are actively looking for people with a huge range of skills and education levels, who are needed to fill jobs from laborers to engineers to mechanics to project managers.
VTCA is working to fill the labor gap in several ways. We have partnered with other CTE centers, schools, and trade groups to connect students to these high-demand careers.
Continuing education is another important objective for our transportation workforce. Training and skills need to be maintained, technology is continually changing, and new capabilities are needed to keep our workforce at the forefront of the industry.
A workforce that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion will continue to be a priority as we work toward a stronger and more fruitful industry. To find out more, go to www.vtca.org or check out our career campaign at www.milesaheadva.com.
YouScience
Amy Bradley, Senior Territory Manager
YouScience is the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers. Its end-to-end platform, YouScience Brightpath, includes the award-winning YouScience Aptitude & Career Discovery product which connects education with career applications designed to help students unlock their potential for future pathways. It’s the only aptitude-based guidance platform that leverages data and artificial intelligence to help individuals identify their aptitudes, validate their skills, and get matched with education and career pathways. Through insights and analytic data reports, educators can identify, guide and match the unique talent of every student to their best fit pathways and future. YouScience Brightpath provides the essential foundation for student growth from discovery to actuality. YouScience is currently serving more than 9,000 educational institutions with over two million users.
