A regional education partnership has been awarded a $648,000 state grant to train local students in information technology, advanced manufacturing and related career fields.
The Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers collaborative — also known as Go-TEC — was one of nine regional projects announced recently by Gov. Ralph Northam to receive funding through GO Virginia initiative, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
Go-TEC is a partnership between higher education centers in Pittsylvania, Halifax and Henry counties and the K-12 school systems in those service areas. Danville Community College, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, and the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center in South Boston are among the partners.
Schools in Danville and Pittsylvania County will serve as pilot sites for new Go-TEC career exploration labs.
Those labs are expected to be outfitted with equipment to explore welding, robotics and precision machining, as well as computer technology to introduce middle school students to topics like networking, cybersecurity and programming, according to the news release.
The grant project was spearheaded by DCC in partnership with other institutions, and it will also include Averett in the future, according to Kimberly Buck, public relations and marketing director at DCC.
In addition to paying for equipment, the grant will fund a trainer position. The goal is to develop a career exploration curriculum that can be used by school systems across the state, according to a news release from DCC.