School may be out this week – but not for all teachers in Davie County.
The Davie Economic Development Commission (EDC) started the Partnership for Workforce Development along with the Davie County School System and Davidson County Community College. This partnership combines the building blocks for continued economic development in Davie County.
Thousands of new jobs have been created in Davie County over the last five years in advanced manufacturing, health care, engineering, quality control, logistics, warehousing and distribution. The partnership will help Davie students acquire the skills for success in the 21st century job market while providing a source of talent for local employers, said Terry Bralley, EDC president.
“The partnership brings industry and education together enriching learning in Davie schools and better preparing our students for success in an ever more competitive and global job market,” he said.
Local business leaders, as members of the partnership, are providing two-week summer internships that provide real world immersion experiences to local teachers. The internships will inform and renew teachers’ understanding of the expectations of local industry for technical and interpersonal skills.
The program is designed that those teachers incorporate what they learn into the classroom curriculum. They will also share what they learn with other teachers.
How it Works
Immersion Experiences: Selected teachers will participate in intensive 2 week internships at the facilities of the industry partners during the summer months.
Professional Development: Each teacher shall use the immersion experiences to develop and present at least one professional development opportunity at their institution within one year of the experience.
Curriculum Development: Within one year of the experience each teacher must provide evidence that the immersion experience has been incorporated into the curriculum of their programs and outcome evidence that learning has occurred.
The initiative is already in full swing. The Davie County School System and DCCC have named the participating teachers and local business leaders have committed to providing the internship opportunities this summer for first-year participants.
Participating from Davie County High School is David Koontz, certified teacher of drafting and technology education for grades 9-12. Participating from DCCC is Kerry Smith, instructor for advanced manufacturing. Participating local businesses include Ashley Furniture, Ingersoll Rand, Davie Medical Center and VF Jeans.
Together We Are Davie
The Partnership for Workforce Development is sponsored and funded by a grant from the Mebane Foundation through the Davie County Economic Development Commission’s 5 year economic development plan, Together We Are Davie.
“The Partnership for Workforce Development is a win-win for both Davie County students and for local industry,” said Bralley. “Not only will it provide internships and opportunities helping educators prepare students for the workforce, it will produce students whose skills are responsive to the needs of 21st century employers.”
Together We Are Davie was launched in December of 2013. Goals of the 5 year economic development capital campaign include the generation of 1,200 new jobs and $100 million in new corporate investments over the next 5 years.
The partnership is the first EDC initiative funded by private capital raised through Together We Are Davie.
“It is expected that this successful private capital venture will be the first of many similar private capital campaigns to benefit Davie County,” Bralley said.