Leander ISD Career and Technical Education (CTE) Directors and Teachers gathered with leaders and mentors from the Austin National Association of the Remodeling Industry (Austin NARI) Sept. 20 for a Partnership Kickoff Breakfast to celebrate the collaboration between the remodeling industry and high school Architecture and Construction CTE classrooms.
At the breakfast, Austin NARI Members had the opportunity to share their experiences mentoring and employing LISD CTE students, while also connecting with CTE teachers and college and career transition coordinators from all six LISD high schools. The Glenn High School Culinary Arts Program provided a spread of pastries, fruit and other breakfast items prepared by students in Glenn’s commercial kitchen.
“The NARI Workforce Development Program (WFDP) and LISD CTE partnership is such a great opportunity to link business owners with students to give them a real life understanding of what a career [in the industry] looks like,” Founding Member of the Austin NARI Workforce Development Team and CG&S Design and Build Owner Dolores Davis said.
Leander ISD CTE programs are designed to provide authentic learning experiences through academically rigorous and industry aligned curriculum. These programs allow students to gain industry work experience and earn industry-based certifications.
Austin NARI partners with the LISD CTE programs that align with their industries, including architecture, construction, electrical, HVAC, interior design and welding.
LISD Assistant Director of Career Development Jamie Everett said that LISD CTE greatly values the dedication, time and resources that the Austin NARI Workforce Development Foundation provides to the district’s students and teachers.
“Austin NARI generously partners with us to provide classroom guest speakers, collaborative industry projects, site visits, job shadows, student internships, teacher externships, student scholarships and program grants,” Everett said. “We are excited to continue to grow our partnership to strengthen our future workforce in the local remodeling industry.”
The Leander ISD CTE and Austin NARI partnership began during the 2020-2021 school year with classroom connections – industry business owners in the community visiting CTE classrooms to share their experience and insight with students – and has expanded every year since. In 2021-2022 Austin NARI began offering scholarships to students, and the following year added summer internships.
This school year, in addition to scholarships, internships and classroom connections, the group will offer program grants. LISD CTE teachers will have the opportunity to apply to these grants for funding needed for equipment, materials, software and other resources for classroom learning and projects.
“Our NARI members have an opportunity to listen to the needs of the teachers and students and provide knowledge, product and money to support the CTE programs,” Davis said. “We look forward to growing this Guest Speaker Program and expanding it in the future.”
Leander ISD values collaboration with local community members and businesses. Across all of our Programs of Study, there are a variety of ways for you to partner with us to help our students find their passion and strengthen their skills.
If you or your business would like to discuss opportunities to partner with Leander CTE, please email Jamie Everett, Assistant Director of Career Development, at [email protected].
