Copperas Cove ISD has been named a star school district for its efforts in career & technical education.
Thursday, Workforce Solutions of Central Texas awarded CCISD its 2023 Torch Workforce Education Impact Award.
This award selection is based on the outstanding successes while using the services provided by the Workforce Solutions of Central Texas.
“Copperas Cove ISD takes great pride in preparing students for life after high school, whether that life is college, work or the military,” Deputy Superintendent for Instructional Services Amanda Crawley said. “We appreciate Workforce Solutions of Central Texas for its recognition of the work our students and staff, alike, have put into our career and technical programs.”
In the award, the organization said CCISD’s participation in two key initiatives was paramount in its consideration. As an early champion of the Student Occupational Awareness and Recognition Program (SOAR), CCISD’s clear objective was to illuminate, educate and engage students on the path of career development and informed career decision-making came through.
Through the SOAR initiative, the district provides career services to students in middle and high school, as it remains committed to educating and caring for the whole child, which includes education and guidance on career choices with access to up-to-date labor market insights and career data, which are generously offered by Workforce Solutions of Central Texas’ career coaches.
In the summer, under the guidance of CTE Coordinator Sandra Perry, CCISD also actively took part in “Wrenches to Wheels: Building Bikes and Building Skills.” Through this initiative, the district partnered with 26 local business leaders and mentored 20 students through the process of building bicycles.
Just last week, CCISD partnered with Workforce Solutions to host a transition to college or career event for students with disabilities. Students and their parents came out to learn how to access the many supports offered to students to help them make the transition from high school to post-secondary a success. This is just another example of the robust partnership with Workforce Solutions of Central Texas and the many benefits to CCISD students.
“We have a wonderful, supportive community which supports a vast array of career & technical education courses in Copperas Cove ISD,” Superintendent Dr. Joe Burns said. “We’re proud of the work our educators do every day to teach our students real-world skills. We look forward to continuing a wonderful partnership with the Workforce Solutions of Central Texas to continue shaping CCISD students.”
This isn’t the first time this year CCISD has received a large workforce-related award.
In March, CCISD was awarded more than $311,000 across two Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants, allowing the CTE programs to continue to blossom and provide the most up-to-date technology and skills in the workforce.
Copperas Cove ISD currently offers 35 industry-based certifications through its career & technical education programs.