Pearland ISD partners with Brazoria County petrochemical employers to place students in full-time jobs through career signing day

Pearland ISD is working with the Brazoria County Petrochemical Council to place high-school career and technical education students into full-time jobs and apprenticeships through an annual career signing day, district and industry organizers said.

The signing-day model pairs students who complete CTE course sequences and industry certifications with multiple employer interviews held in a single event. "We will accomplish probably somewhere near 800 interviews in a 4 hour span," Aaron Innes, director of workforce development and innovative learning, said on the district's Building Blocks podcast, describing the event as a "speed dating" model for hiring.

The program numbers and process matter because local petrochemical and construction employers report continuing demand for skilled entry-level workers. "These are jobs that very large companies, very sound companies that high school kids at 18 are gonna have health benefits, dental benefits," said Sarah Vargas, a member of Pearland ISD's CTE leadership. Vargas described a pipeline that begins with classroom certificates, continues with…