The Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC) initiative, a GO Virginia-supported talent development model spanning middle school through higher education, announced Advisory Board officers for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. GO TEC Advisory Board Chair Mark Gignac, IALR Executive Director; Vice Chair Jason Wells, President, Kyocera SGS Tech Hub; and Secretary Robin Ferguson, CTE Director, Patrick County Public Schools, were all reelected for a second term.
GO TEC has experienced critical progress and so have their partners, two of which won 2020 Virginia School Boards Association Excellence in Workforce Readiness Awards. Cumberland County Public Schools won first place for their GO TEC Career Connections and Dukes Discover program which allows students to explore careers with hands-on training while in middle and high school. Pittsylvania County Schools won first place for its Precision Machining Technology program. Nearly 100 students have graduated and either obtained a job in the field or went on to earn their associate degree at the Gene Haas Center for Integrated Machining at IALR.