Brevard schools outline industry partnerships, gaps and plans to expand CTE internships

Tara Harris, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and Rachel Rutledge, director of career and technical education, told the Brevard Public Schools Board on Feb. 11 that district CTE programs have “pockets of excellence” with strong industry partners but also gaps that limit internships and job placement for graduates.

The presentation summarized existing partnerships — including Embraer, L3Harris, CareerSource, Wharton Smith, the Brevard Zoo, Lockheed Martin and local colleges — and described outreach and program-alignment work aimed at ensuring programs lead to measurable post‑graduation opportunities.

District staff said the goal is to align classroom instruction, industry certification and equipment purchases with local employers so students are “ready to plug and play into the career,” Rutledge said. She pointed to examples in aviation, maritime and construction where employers host tours, take interns and help shape curriculum.

Why it matters: Board members raised workforce concerns tied to local economic growth, including Lockheed Martin’s expansion and other manufacturers in the county. Staff said improving CTE partnerships could increase direct hires from high school programs, reduce skills gaps and create clearer pathways to college credit and industry credentials.

Details and debate

Rutledge and Harris told the board the district has more than 500 manufacturers countywide, but engagement is inconsistent: some firms hire cohorts while many smaller manufacturers could hire one or two graduates but are harder for staff to identify and contact. The district’s “adopt a CTE” form lists ways businesses can help (guest speaking, internships, hiring) and staff mentioned employers who host special events and recruit interns.

Board members asked about tracking outcomes. Rutledge said state reports show concentrators’ postsecondary placement in broad terms, but the district does not yet track, program-by-program, how many partnering businesses hire graduates. “We are not tracking it like that,” she said. Staff recommended adding partner follow‑up to internship agreements and possibly asking partners to report hires annually.

Board members proposed specific outreach and follow-up steps: organized industry tours to bring business partners onto buses to visit programs at multiple schools; targeted meetings with manufacturers, unions and HR contacts (one board member offered to convene manufacturing executives via the Central Florida Manufacturing Association); and enhanced use of advisory groups to match curriculum and certification to employer needs.

Barriers and proposed solutions

Presenters named several recurring barriers to internships and hiring: minimum age restrictions for some employers (especially defense contractors), transportation to work sites, limited partner funding for stipends, difficulty identifying content-area partners for digital arts and health care, and coordinating expectations among partners (some want to give funding, others want to host interns).

Possible fixes discussed included: - Asking partners at the point of internship to agree to post‑hire follow up and to provide a contact for hiring data. - Organizing CTE site tours by district or board member zones and inviting targeted business partners. - Using unions and trade organizations to place students who are under 18 where legally permissible and to recruit teachers (for example electrical instructors via IBEW). - Expanding teacher-industry exchange opportunities (teachers in industry and summer placements) and offering evening or weekend adult‑education options as models for community classes.

Data and clarifications

Rutledge shared survey results from high school CTE completers: 687 respondents; 142 said they plan to attend trade school; 329 said they planned to work in a field related to their CTE program; and 243 said the CTE program influenced their post‑graduation decision. The district has dual-enrollment and articulation agreements with Eastern Florida State College and other institutions to grant college credit and advanced standing for some pathways.

Next steps and board direction

Board members generally backed staff recommendations to expand outreach, improve partner tracking, organize targeted CTE tours and pursue more structured advisory‑board relationships with industry. Staff said they will refine a plan that includes partner contact lists, touring schedules and options for tracking hires and internship outcomes.

Rutledge and Harris provided printed one‑page program profiles for each pathway and said staff will update partner lists and follow up with board members who volunteered to help convene contacts. The board emphasized keeping students’ post‑graduation opportunities central when deciding which programs to grow.

The presentation and Q&A occupied the larger portion of the Feb. 11 work session; no formal policy votes were taken at this meeting on CTE changes.

Ending

Staff asked board members to help identify industry contacts and to support planned CTE tours and expanded advisory engagement. Rutledge said the district will return with refined proposals and implementation details after gathering board input and partner responses.