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Business advisory council highlights CTE wins, employer pipelines and ACE student hiring
Summary
The Career and Technical Education business advisory council reported strong employer engagement and student placements, updates on ACE facility expansion and staffing hurdles for clinical programs, and described national recognition at a Department of Labor roundtable.
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) business advisory council told the Henrico County School Board on June 11 that local employer partnerships are producing direct hires from ACE/CTE programs and supporting program growth.
M. Baiton, director of workforce and career development, presented the BAC's annual report and 2026–27 recommendations to expand program offerings—particularly in health and medical fields—strengthen employer connections for work-based learning, and assist in recruiting CTE instructors. The BAC said the committee comprises roughly 20 members drawn from parents, staff and business partners across the county.
Business partners and BAC officers gave concrete examples of students transitioning to employment. "I have two master technicians and four technicians that just graduated...that's 11 kids—almost half of my technician staff—and they're sharp," said Jeff Lewis, describing hires from ACE programming at his Ford store. BAC representatives added they have extended job offers to recent graduates in specialty programs such as fire protection and have developed registered pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs reaching multiple states.
The BAC also noted the division was one of five school systems selected to participate in a Department of Labor roundtable in Washington, D.C., to showcase the county's construction-trades work and to discuss how other divisions could replicate the model.
What happens next: The BAC will continue to advise on the Perkins plan for 2026–27, work with human resources on staffing and collaborate with business partners to expand work-based learning and apprenticeship opportunities.
