Rockwood outlines Partners in Education programs and apprenticeship pilot to expand career pathways
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Summary
District presenters described Partners in Education (PIE) outreach — about 7,500 programs affecting 15,000 classrooms last year — career shadowing (312 high-school students in one semester) and a Department of Labor–linked apprenticeship pilot starting at Rockwood Summit with plans to expand to other high schools.
District staff presented an overview of Partners in Education (PIE), saying the program links volunteers and local businesses to classrooms across Rockwood and supports career exploration, career shadowing and a new apprenticeship pilot in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor and Careerways.
Presenter Ben Hepperson described PIE classroom presentations, special events such as STEM nights and an eighth-grade career fair, and district efforts to connect students with employers. He noted the program ran about 7,500 presentations last year and impacted roughly 15,000 classrooms. "As far as PIE goes, an overview, Partners in Education links community resources to Rockwood classrooms from early childhood through high school," Hepperson said.
Hepperson reported 312 high-school students participated in career shadowing in the first semester. He outlined a competitive Rockwood internship program (unpaid summer internships) that typically enrolls about 75–80 students, and described an apprenticeship pilot being launched as a cohort with neighboring districts and employers; the pilot will start at Rockwood Summit and expand to the district’s four high schools if successful. He described apprenticeship logistics: students complete two career-tech courses, apply, interview, receive on-the-job paid training, and may earn nationally recognized certifications and potentially high-school credit.
Board members welcomed the initiative as a way to connect students to local employers and noted coordination challenges for teachers and staff. Hepperson listed partner organizations, including Boeing, Mercy, St. Louis Cardinals and local engineering and manufacturing firms, and said selection and placement events (selection day, draft day, signing day) are part of the program model.
The board did not vote on program changes; presenters asked for board support and awareness as the programs scale.
What’s next: District staff intend to run the apprenticeship pilot at Rockwood Summit this semester and expand it to other high schools; program staffing, partner commitments and credit articulation were described as ongoing work.