Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC®) Career Connections Labs are now in 52 middle schools statewide, exposing approximately 9,000 students annually to career opportunities like welding, precision machining, automation and robotics, metrology, mechanical engineering and much more. The goal of this program, administered by the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), is to introduce the students pathways and funnel them toward existing training programs and opportunities in those sectors.
However, in most school divisions in Virginia, STEM-focused career and technical education lags in 9th and 10th grade before hyper-focusing again in 11th and 12th grade. To fill that gap, the GO TEC team is working with several Southern Virginia school divisions to implement impactful STEM-focused career and technical education (CTE) opportunities for 9th- and 10th-graders. These pilot partners of GO TEC and IALR include Danville Public Schools, Pittsylvania County Schools and Henry County Public Schools.
“We’re getting young people exposed to these opportunities and excited about them, but how can we continue that in 9th and 10th grade?” – Julie Brown, Ph.D., Vice President, Advanced Learning, IALR
Memorable Middle School Introductions
Those Career Connections Labs are part of the GO TEC program, which stimulates job growth within the Commonwealth by creating dependable talent pipelines in strategic, STEM-focused sectors. Made possible by robust public-private partnerships, GO TEC exemplifies IALR’s goals of connecting students to careers and expanding STEM capacity.
IALR serves as GO TEC’s fiscal agent and program lead. Partners, including K12 school systems, higher education, industry and economic development, support and guide GO TEC.
Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering | Manufacturing Engineering |
Automation & Robotics | Welding | Precision Machining |
Healthcare Technologies | IT Coding & Networking | Metrology |
The GO TEC program started as a pilot in Danville and Pittsylvania County Schools and has now spread to middle schools from Abingdon to Hampton Roads.
As middle school Career Connections Labs proliferate across the Commonwealth, GO TEC staff are focusing earnestly on helping school divisions create effective CTE programs for 9th- and 10th-grade students in those sectors.
“The reason for investing in 9th- and 10th-grade programs is that we know what those CTE programs are in 11th and 12th grade. We wanted to start taking this funnel that’s big in elementary and middle school and extend it to form a complete pipeline.” – Angela Rigney, GO TEC Director, IALR
Funding Talent Pathways
Southern Virginia was awarded a Defense Manufacturing Community Support Designation (DMCSP) from the Department of Defense in 2021. This opened the door for future grant opportunities, such as a $5 million 2021 workforce development pipeline grant from the Department of Defense that has allowed IALR to support several initiatives, including:
- Successful GO TEC Robotics Competitions in 2023 and 2024
- Virginia’s first Manufacturing Engineering Technology bachelor’s degree at Old Dominion University with a corresponding associate degree from Patrick & Henry Community College
- Curriculum mapping from middle school to university programs
That grant is also being used to support the creation of 9th- and 10th-grade pilot programs focused on STEM and manufacturing career pathways for three area school divisions.
“The goal of these 9th- and 10th-grade STEM programs is to keep the students engaged when they leave the GO TEC Career Connections labs before they can go into dual enrollment.” – Amanda Hylton, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Manufacturing Advancement, IALR
Successful 9th- and 10th-Grade Programs in Pittsylvania County
Pittsylvania County Schools launched two 9th- and 10th-grade academies in the 2022-2023 academic year: the Advanced Manufacturing Academy and the Health Sciences Academy. For these two-year programs, 9th- and 10th-grade students from the county’s four high schools spend half their day at the STEM Academy in Chatham and the other half at their base school. The program focuses on providing hands-on, engaging learning experiences that connect students with real-world applications of STEM.
The curriculum of these programs was created to be hands-on and engaging. Students frequently take trips to different facilities around the community.
“These programs give our students a different type of learning experience than at the base high school.” – Mark Jones, Ph.D., Superintendent, Pittsylvania County Schools
Students in the Advanced Manufacturing Academy in Pittsylvania County Schools gain hands-on experience in industries like welding, machining and automation with additional exploration in robotics, additive manufacturing and metrology.
Over the course of the two-year program, students also create a professional portfolio of all the skills and experience they gain.
“The feedback I receive from students and parents has been positive. It helps students understand what their likes are, their dislikes and what pathway they want to pursue.” – Sonya Soyars, Advanced Manufacturing Academy Instructor, Pittsylvania County Schools
Henry County Schools Pilot Program
Henry County Public Schools is also addressing the 9th- and 10th-grade gap. A new pilot program for these grades has been launched, focusing on creating engaging STEM and CTE opportunities that build on the foundation established in middle school.
Henry County Public Schools is placing GO TEC equipment, including virtual reality welders, on mobile carts that can serve different classrooms.
Henry County Public Schools already has robust CTE offerings at their base schools and the Career Academy. However, these offerings need a stronger emphasis on STEM-specific careers aligned with GO TEC pathways. With the support of the DMSCP grant, Henry County is integrating GO TEC equipment and tracks into its existing structure. This includes technologies such as Dobots, Haas Milling Machines and virtual welding simulators, which are placed on mobile carts for use across different classes.
“We’re using this equipment to enhance what we already have. This equipment and technology has been monumental in enhancing the student experience.” – Kyana Smith, Ph.D., Coordinator of Career and Technical Education, Henry County Public Schools
A Customized Approach for 9th and 10th Grade
The program equipment, technology and structure are very systematized and consistent across the 52 middle school GO TEC Career Connections Labs. However, that same level of uniformity doesn’t work with 9th- and 10th-grade programs.
“There is not a one-size-fits-all 9th- and 10th-grade model that closes the gap and fills that career training pathway. We have to factor in timing, available resources, and regional differences and tailor this to each locality and each region.” – Jake Taylor, GO TEC Technical and Training Manager, IALR
GO TEC staff will continue to support Virginia school divisions by creating innovative, customized programs to bridge the 9th- and 10th-grade gap.
“Career and technical education is coming back in full force. But it’s essential to strategically plan and implement those pathways and plans of success.” – Angela Rigney, GO TEC Director, IALR