Workforce program puts CTE programs in spotlight

Business leaders and school personnel got together to build school to industry pathways on April 6 in Rockdale during a workforce preparation program aimed at giving businesses the chance to see what area school district’s offer through their Career and Technical Education or CTE programs.

The program, put on by the Rockdale Municipal Development District and Cameron Industrial Foundation with the Milam County Economic Development Partnership, offered area business owners the chance to hear about the CTE programs in Cameron, Rockdale, Milano and Thorndale ISDs.

“We are hoping to start a process of change here in Milam County,” Dr. John Weed with the Milam County Economic Development Partnership said. “We wanted to tell you that. Some time this year there will be an announcement about new industry coming to the county.”

Weed said that just because industry comes, business and people might not come.

“We started with quality of place and workforce,” he said. “We realize that one of the main entities that will help with this are the schools. This will show that our schools have a quality that will attract people to live in Milam County and show you that we have employees for your business. We want your businesses to grow. Economic development starts at home.”

CTE directors Britina Pesak with Rockdale ISD, Kenneth Driska with Cameron ISD, and Rick Kutcher with Milano ISD were on hand to speak about their respective district’s CTE programs.

Pesak said that CTE’s scope is very broad and offers 16 programs of study or career clusters to students in things such as agriculture, business, health science, information technology, manufacturing, hospitality and tourism and science, technology, engineering and math.

There are coherent sequences of classes for students to focus on what they are interested in learning. CTE aims to make students ready for college and career after high school.

CTE focuses on technical training, academic knowledge and employability for students.

Pesak said she hopes this program will help employers to see what the school districts are doing and to develop partnerships, internships and externships with local businesses to help the students.

“We want to help you build a better employee,” Pesak said. “We are trying to help you with the technical training, academic knowledge and employability.”

Pesak brought a group of students from Rockdale High School who have taken classes in health sciences that go over to Little River Health Care in Rockdale to do clinicals. They get to do some things that nurses are able to do. The partnership offers a simulation lab that allows the students to learn through simulation. 

Pesak said this program has helped those students to decide if this is what they want to do or not. This allows students to see what they want to do in high school so they don’t spend a lot of money on something that they don’t really want to have a career in.

She said internships are a vital part of the program, because getting the students out to you is helpful to both the business and the student and that direction coming from an employer is always better than from a teacher or parent.

Cameron ISD has 488 high school students, 93 percent of them have taken a CTE course and 90 percent of them are in a CTE program of study. One-hundred percent of students have taken a CTE course by the time they graduate.

Cameron ISD CTE Director Kenneth Driska said that CISD offers programs of study in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Arts, Audio-visual Technology and Communications; Business Management and Administration; Finance; Health Science; Information Technology; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Rockdale ISD has 574 students, 85 percent of them have taken a CTE course and 78 percent of them are in a CTE program of study. One-hundred percent of students have taken a CTE course by the time they graduate.

Pesak said that RISD offers programs of study in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Architecture and Construction; Arts, Audio-visual Technology and Communications; Business Management and Administration; Finance; Health Science; Information Technology; Manufacturing; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Milano ISD has 174 high school students, 99 percent of them have taken a CTE course and 94 percent of them are in a CTE program of study. One-hundred percent of students have taken a CTE course by the time they graduate.

Milano ISD offers programs of study in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Business Management and Administration; and Hospitality and Tourism.

Thorndale ISD has 212 high school students, 60 percent of them have taken a CTE course and 60 percent of them are in a CTE program of study. One-hundred percent of students have taken a CTE course by the time they graduate.

Thorndale ISD offers programs of study in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Architecture and Construction; Business Management and Administration; Education and Training; Hospitality and Tourism; Information Technology; Manufacturing; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM); and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics.

“We are hoping that this is the beginning of a culture of cooperation,” Pesak said. “We want to help you get quality employees and our students get quality employment.”

If you would like to find out more about CTE programs you can contact Kenneth Driska at kdriska@cameronisd.net; Britina Pesak at bpesak@rockdaleisd.net; Rick Kutcher at rkutcher@milanoisd.net; and Orlando Vargas at Orlando.vargas@thorndale.txed.net.