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Prince George highlights CTE growth: officials cite hundreds of work-based learning slots and thousands of student enrollments
Summary
Division staff told the board that career-and-technical-education (CTE) offerings span elementary to high school, with nearly 250 course sections, more than 700 work-based opportunities and broad student participation; students described certifications, internships and competition success.
Prince George County Public Schools presented a wide-ranging update on career and technical education (CTE) on March 17, emphasizing hands-on classes, internships and student-led enterprises that district staff say expand postgraduation options.
Division CTE coordinator Ashton D’Almo told the board that the program includes roughly 30 teachers teaching more than “240, almost 250” CTE sections across grades K–12 and that the district has produced “over 700 work-based learning opportunities in internships and school-based enterprises.” D’Almo said the number of student enrollments in CTE classes is “almost 4,500” on a duplicated basis; she also noted the division’s unduplicated CTE head count as reported to the state.
Students and staff provided concrete examples of program activity. At the elementary level, D’Almo described a “tech field day” that introduces younger students to 16 high-school pathways through hands-on stations (drones, 3-D printing, robotics). At the middle and high school levels, staff described robotics and coding, JROTC participation, family and consumer sciences (Cupcake Wars), and expanded DECA and FBLA offerings.
Three students described their CTE experiences during the presentation: - Riley Humphreys (senior) said she earned two NACTE certifications (accounting; sports and entertainment marketing), placed at DECA district and state levels, and will compete at an international DECA competition in Orlando next month. She told the board CTE “is so much more than that” and provided both workforce and classroom benefits. - Owen Hunter (student intern) described social-media and sports-management internships and said Teachers for Tomorrow introduced him to classroom careers he had not previously considered; he said he plans to attend Longwood University. - Aidan Silversmith (recent graduate) said CTE experiences helped him secure a college-year engineering internship at Amsted Rail in Petersburg; he listed credentials including an FAA Part 107 commercial drone endorsement and state-level DECA placement.
D’Almo and board members said the division has increased internship and school-business partnerships and that some CTE classes operate student-run businesses and events such as a fashion show. Board members praised student presenters and emphasized that exposing students to career pathways at younger ages improves work readiness and gives students multiple post-high-school options.
Ending CTE leaders told the board they seek continued funding and partnerships to sustain expanded offerings. Several board members recommended consideration of additional local investments to keep growing internships and industry-aligned training.
