New Program to Pair County High School Students WIth Tech Based Companies

A new outreach program developed by Roanoke County Economic Development and Roanoke County Public Schools will give high school students an opportunity to learn about high-tech careers by giving them a behind-the-scenes look inside some of the area’s most recognized business and industry.

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Tech Tour program officially kicked-off on April 28th when a group of more than 40 students and teachers from the Roanoke County Burton Center for Arts and Technology toured Appalachian Power’s Main Office on Franklin Road in downtown Roanoke. The tour followed two smaller BETA or test tours held in March at SyCom and Graham White.

Students in John Warf’s Cyber Security and Mike French’s Computer Information Technology (CIT) classes got a rare tour of Appalachian Power’s distribution and transmission dispatch centers and learned how technology is used to monitor the power grid and restore electric service.

The Tech Tours are currently designed for students studying mechatronics, CIT, and cybersecurity. What makes this program unique is that careful consideration is given to pair the students with businesses based on their CTE studies and career interests. When possible, the CTE teachers and businesses also collaborate on follow-up projects and assignments.

“We are pleased that businesses like Appalachian Power are providing opportunities to introduce our students to real-world technology careers,” said Roanoke County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Greg Killough. “Together with the Roanoke County Office of Economic Development, we want to encourage students to consider technology careers located right here in the Roanoke Valley,” Dr. Killough added.

“This program aligns with the Roanoke County Community Strategic Plan to connect educational resources with business and community needs,” said Roanoke County Economic Development Director Jill Loope. “I’m extremely pleased with what we’ve achieved so far, and we are eager to reach out to other business and industry leaders to help the program continue to grow.”

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