COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Entrepreneurs and employees gathered at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center for the second annual Brazos Valley Business Summit.
Community business leaders want people to be informed about economic development in the Brazos Valley. Some leaders not only presented ways to better the quality of life, but also discussed what can be done.
“Our job is to expose kids to help them develop their interest and inclination. What am I good at. What do I want to learn more of… So what we’re doing is fine tuning and also getting deeper. For ex. Bryan, our new CTEC has been named one of the ten regional sites in the state,” said Bryan ISD Superintendent Dr. Christie Whitbeck.
The Career technology Education Center, or CTEC, is something Dr. Whitbeck and other school officials believe is crucial to the future of developing Brazos Valley.
“We do two things. We prepare students for college and we prepare them for careers. The advantage… they can go straight into the work force and start their career. Or go straight into college. We say CTE students have an advantage over normal students. So instead of working in fast food…using their schools while they’re going to school,” said CTE Director David Reynolds.
CTE is an option to the students within Bryan ISD and is also beginning to involve outside districts, such as Snook and Caldwell High. It consists of more than 90 programs that students can choose to take including automotive, robotics, welding, and construction.
“We’re trying to mimic industry environment out here…make it as close as we can to what the students will experience when they go out into the work force,” said Reynolds.
This education program will cycle back into the Brazos Valley economy and work force.
“I think it’s important that our community leaders and business leaders today understand what we’re doing in K-12 education But also are a part of the solution. Because we are preparing kids today for jobs that don’t even exist. We need their help, we need them at the table, helping us design curriculum…what tools do need kids need. So really it’s a collaborative effort,” said Dr. Whitbeck.
This business summit is just one way for the community to network and work together to help Brazos Valley grow.
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