COMMUNITY NEWS
ACS, RCS, RCC UNVEIL PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY PROJECT At a press conference on April 14 in the ComputerIntegrated Machining lab of RCC’s Continuing Education and Industry Center, Asheboro City Schools, Randolph Community College, and Randolph County Schools unveiled a partnership project, called Pathways to Prosperity, to create seamless educational pathways for students to go from local high schools to community college into lucrative advanced manufacturing jobs.
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t a press conference on April 14 in the Computer-Integrated Machining lab of RCC’s Continuing Education and Industry Center, Asheboro City Schools, Randolph Community College, and Randolph County Schools unveiled a partnership project, called Pathways to Prosperity, to create seamless educational pathways for students to go from local high schools to community college into lucrative advanced manufacturing jobs. Dr. Stephen Gainey, superintendent, Randolph County Schools; Dr. Terry Worrell, superintendent, Asheboro City Schools; and Dr. Robert Shackleford, president, Randolph Community College, announced the initiative, which will be implemented in fall of 2015 with four pathways in advanced manufacturing. They are Computer-Integrated Machining,
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Asheboro Magazine, Issue 55
Welding Technology, Mechatronics Engineering Technology, and Electrical Systems Technology. According to the report released, “To create the type of pathways called for in Pathways to Prosperity, school districts are called to align CTE courses with area and state labor market demands and create a system of career-focused pathways that span the last years of high school and include at least one year of postsecondary education or training that lead to an industry-recognized certification or credential.” Dr. Gainey noted that the partnership is “a recipe for great opportunity in three ways.” One, it helps students with the question of “What am I going to major in?” Second, it helps the community by providing skilled workers. And third, it puts the three schools systems in partnership, not
in competition. “We’re all coming together and saying ‘Lets get something done for this county,’” he said. Dr. Worrell said she was thrilled with the outcome of the collaboration, not only of this project but the foundation the schools systems have built. “We are creating and supporting pathways for our students that are relative in our community today,” she said. “We must teach for the future, not for the past.” Dr. Shackleford called it “a great occasion for our county and school systems.…We either win together or we lose together.”