Gloucester expands CTE, industry credentials and work-based learning; DARS partnership highlighted

District staff told the board that career and technical education (CTE) enrollment has increased and that Gloucester is emphasizing industry credentials and work-based learning to connect students to local jobs.

Assistant Superintendent Michael Magus and CTE staff said that CTE participation rose this school year and that health sciences, information technology, automotive and culinary programs are among the largest. The division reported a substantial increase in industry credentials earned over three years and said more of those credentials qualify as "high-demand" under new state guidance.

Matt Luther of the Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and newly hired transition coordinator Jan Marie Bard described expanded summer programs: welding and culinary academies (in partnership with Rappahannock Community College), drone camps and other pre-employment transition services targeting students with disabilities. Luther described the services as free and emphasized coordination between schools and community providers to expand job-preparation opportunities.

District staff also described a new digital platform to track student work-based learning experiences and match students with employers. A full-time work-based learning coordinator has overseen an increase in the share of graduates completing a high-quality work-based learning experience.

Why it matters: State accountability now includes employment-related measures for graduates, and industry credentials and work-based learning are central to those measures. The board discussed instructor capacity, local partnerships and the limits of sending students to regional CTE centers (New Horizons) when many seats are limited.

Officials said they will continue to expand in-house offerings where feasible and examine partnerships with community colleges and employers to broaden opportunities for Gloucester students.