If we want to fill all the skilled positions our workforce has open, it's going to take aligning business needs with educational programs at all levels.

With experience at the U.S. Department of Education, Dr. Casey Sacks has seen best practices in creating this kind of alignment. In her current role as President of BridgeValley Community and Technical College, she emphasizes the need for collaboration between colleges, employers, and K-12 schools to ensure that students are aware of and prepared for the opportunities available in technical fields.

In this episode, discover what true career pathways look like:

• Getting employers involved in technical programs - from hiring current students to teaching in the classroom (Aspiring Nurse Program and WV FAME)
• Offering dual-credit opportunities for high school students to get a head start on college (Win Academy)
• Bringing real career exposure down to the middle school level
• Having the courage to close programs that don't tie back to high-wage, high-demand careers

Quotable Moments:
"The elevator speech for an advanced manufacturing technician is a lot longer than the elevator speech for a nurse."

Advice to her 15-year-old self: "Just keep saying yes to things."

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Learn more about BridgeValley Community & Technical College
• The Win Academy at BridgeValley - Offering nursing (and soon manufacturing) programs to high school students
• West Virginia FAME - Creating a pipeline of skilled talent for manufacturing

Connect with BridgeValley Community & Technical College:
Facebook  |  LinkedIn  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

Episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/sacks/

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