Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, Superintendent Robby Parker had a goal of developing programs for our high school students to pursue “new collar” jobs. When we speak of “new collar” jobs, our goal is to help students develop the technical and soft skills needed to move into technical and industrial opportunities such as advanced manufacturing through traditional and non-traditional education paths.
We are making efforts to develop our high school curricular opportunities by adding courses such as Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Computer Integrated Manufacturing. However, we are also meeting with numerous business and industry partners seeking internship opportunities for students in addition to guidance on curriculum development, certifications, and pathways for students.
This morning, MCS Career Coach (Kristina Hansard) and I had the opportunity to tour Brown Precision and discuss partnership opportunities with Greg Brown. Discussing the curricular opportunities students have within Madison City Schools and extending the discussion to focus on industry certifications we can add to our programs, internship opportunities, and the opportunities that await students after leaving high school is a priceless experience. These conversations with business and industry partners help us better serve our students because they provide us with the knowledge of new curricular areas of focus and the opportunities to connect our students with these partners through site visits and internships.
Industry partners like Greg Brown with Brown Precision are passionate about supporting education and helping to equip our students with skills that will prepare them for their future path. We are grateful for the strong support of numerous business and industry partners such as Brown Precision who care deeply about supporting education.