ctat

career & technology association of texas

Connecting Education, Workforce and Economic Development: A Model from the High Plains

Wednesday, January 30, 2008
2:15pm - 3:15pm

Trinity

Workforce development is a key component of any progressive economic development plan for a community. Recognizing the importance of workforce development for both business retention and attraction, Lubbock EDA has been working on a strategic campaign for Lubbock and the region. Building strategic partnerships is a foundation of the campaign.

The Community Workforce Partnership includes community leaders, business professionals and workforce and economic development specialists who have come together in order to have an ongoing dialogue about workforce development programs for the South Plains region and in an effort to increase coordination and collaboration between the many valuable workforce development programs for the region. Our most recent endeavors include creating career pathway programs for targeted industries. Programs are driven by industry certifications, beginning in high school, and pathway to the workforce, community college or university level. Creating options for students is a priority in developing high-tech skills to meet the needs of business and industry, and to also prepare our students for targeted occupations.

We believe that motivating students is critical to the success of our economic stability as a community, state and nation. Creating an interest to learn, relevance of curriculum to real-world experiences, creating a setting that the students could learn by doing and apply the knowledge, and creating options for career pathways and providing something of value to be transferable from high school to higher education and business are the keys to the process.

Presenter: Terri Patterson, Director Workforce Development, Lubbock Economic Development Alliance

Rick Stewart, Coordinator, Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center, Lubbock ISD


 

 

 

Sponsored by:

Career & Technology Association of Texas

Texas Business and Education Coalition