CAREER, TECHNICAL AND AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD MEETING October 25, 2012 The Bibb County Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Advisory Board met on Tuesday, October 25, 2012, at 12:30 p.m. in Room 1030 at Hutchings Career Center. Dr. Joyner welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced Bill Chambless as the new Chairperson for the committee. Mr. Chambless called the meeting to order at 12:34 p.m. Informational packets which included agendas, May 10, 2012 meeting minutes, industry assessment surveys, and GeorgiaBEST (business ethics student training) were distributed. The following members were present: Allyson Aldrich (Retired Counselor/Early Childhood Education Instructor), Vonnie Angelo (BOE/Youth Apprenticeship), Jan Baggarly (UGA Cooperative Extension), Charles Baima (BOE/CTAE Supervisor), Bill Chambless (GA Associated General Contractors), Kevin Floyd (Macon State College), Sam Henderson (Mayor’s Office), Dr. Amy Holloway (Central Georgia Technical College), Lonnicia Jackson (Miller-Motte Technical College), Dr. Sharon Joyner (BOE/CTAE Director), Becky Lee (Central Georgia Technical College), Judy McCallum (BOE/CTAE Budget Coordinator), Meredith Rosser (GEICO), Shermesa Saffold (BOE/Career Coach Supervisor), Terry Schindler (Macon Economic Development Commission), Dr. Cassandra Washington (BOE/CTAE Supervisor), Cassandra Williams (Medical Center of Central Georgia), and M. J. Salter (Miller-Motte Technical College). Mr. Chambless asked for a motion to approve the minutes from the last advisory meeting held on May 10, 2012. Sam Henderson made the motion and Meredith Rosser made a second. The minutes were unanimously approved by the committee. Charles Baima, CTAE Supervisor, shared the progress of CTAE programs in Bibb obtaining Industry Certification. Industry Certification defined means that a program has received a stamp of excellence, which represents the apex of program quality. Programs which have already achieved this distinction include: Marketing, Construction, Graphics, Broadcast Video, Culinary, and some Business & Computer Science (BCS) programs. This year Automotive, Agriculture, Healthcare, and our other BCS programs are working to achieve this recognition. Hutchings and Westside are working to recertify their BCS programs this year. The next items on the agenda were Industry Survey and GeorgiaBEST presented by Dr. Joyner. She explained that one of the activities of the BCS industry certification process was to survey local industry regarding their labor and workforce needs in business fields. She thanked board member Terry Schwindler for her assistance in sending the survey to chamber members and area businesses, and she also thanked Dr. Washington for leading the project. Results showed that the majority of local businesses use Microsoft Office 2010, and the type of job entrance test most often used is a computer literacy test. Bibb is implementing the MicroSoft IT Academy this year to increase students’ computer skills. Survey results indicate that skills in communication, teamwork and professionalism are extremely important for success in local businesses. To address this issue, Bibb is piloting the GeorgiaBEST program to enhance students’ soft skills. Dr. Joyner also discussed the handout for GeorgiaBEST with members and asked for their feedback. Dr. Holloway indicated that GeorgiaBEST has some similarities to the ethics program used in technical colleges and has additional components that will be useful to students. Mr. Rosser recommended implementing GeorgiaBEST in all CTAE classes as soon as the pilot has been completed. Dr. Cassandra Washington, CTAE Supervisor, discussed the Microsoft IT Academy. In early September, the Georgia Department of Education announced collaboration with Microsoft to offer the Microsoft Academy Program statewide. This collaboration will provide students with real-world technology skills which will allow them to compete and thrive in the emerging economy and technology-savvy workforce. By working together with Microsoft, Georgia’s high schools will have access to classroom lab licensing (Office 2010), learning content on-line, lesson plans, teacher resources, professional development, and class projects. In addition, students can earn industry credentials that are globally recognized in the business world. Georgia is the 6th state in the US to broadly roll out this program. Dr. Washington also discussed Mock Interviews. She stated that 400 students took part in mock job interviews at various high schools in Bibb last year. Mock interview fairs give students the opportunity to meet with industry people within the community and experience a 15 – 20 minutes mock interview. The students complete instructional activities in their CTAE courses for a week, and the interview process is the culminating activity. This interview fair gives students a chance to experience a part of what the real world workforce is like and receive valuable feedback from business professionals. They come prepared with a completed job application, resume, and cover letter. She asked for volunteers for upcoming interviews that will take place this school year. Vonnie Angelo, Youth Apprenticeship (YAP) Coordinator, discussed Dual Enrollment, and CTAE Student of the Year plans. Mrs. Angelo works with all 7 high schools in Bibb placing juniors and seniors in apprenticeship positions and dual enrollment classes through Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC). She currently has 3 programs in place: Pharmacy Tech & Customer Service taught at Hutchings Career Center, and 1 class at CGTC, Aircraft Structural. There are also 13 YAP students working for the Bibb County School District Technology Department one block each day. Furthermore, meetings have begun regarding hiring additional Youth Apprenticeship students at Robins Air Force Base. Each school will choose one CTAE student to compete for the 2nd Annual Bibb County CTAE Student of the Year (SOTY). Monetary scholarships and gift cards will be awarded. An awards reception will be held at Hutchings Career Center for the students and their families to announce the winner. Advisory board members will have an opportunity to serve on the selection panel. Shermesa Saffold, Career Coach Supervisor, gave an overview of the new Career Coach Program in Bibb. This program is a collaborative effort between the Bibb County School District and the Macon-Bibb County Workforce Investment Board, Inc. Because of this partnership, a part-time Career Coach is in place at each of Bibb’s 7 high schools. As an extension to what teachers, counselors and other personnel are doing, Career Coaches are offering career development services to high school 2 students and fostering a smooth transition to higher levels of education and the emerging workforce. Becky Lee, CGTC VP of Economic Development, introduced Dr. Amy Holloway, VP of Academic Affairs at CGTC. Dr. Holloway was very excited to present information regarding the merger of Middle Georgia Technical College (MGTC) and Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC). She explained that the merger has been discussed for many years and that she thought that it was finally the perfect time for the merger to take place. Dr. Ivan Allen was asked to step in as President of both colleges. The merger will reduce administrative costs as the two colleges will share resources. The schools are located only 30 miles apart. These are among many reasons the merger made perfect sense at this time. The estimated beginning enrollment for both schools is 10,000 students. Dr. Joyner thanked Dr. Holloway for the update and for providing dual enrollment opportunities for Bibb’s students to earn college credit while in high school. The meeting was paused briefly while everyone enjoyed a meal prepared by Hutchings Culinary Instructor, Chef Raymond Garrison, and his culinary students. The culinary students and Chef Garrison were given the opportunity to introduce themselves to the advisory board. They were all thanked for the delicious meal before the meeting continued. Dr. Joyner then talked about major changes that would take place in the next few years in CTAE. The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is currently modifying CTAE pathways and curriculum. Pathways will be grouped according to the 16 federal clusters, and Georgia is adding a 17th cluster for Energy. She stated that the advisory board members would later be asked to provide input on which pathways should be offered in Bibb. Furthermore, Bibb has a strategic plan which includes a portfolio of schools beginning as early as fall of 2014. Advisory board members will also have input as to which pathways should be grouped together and offered in a particular school according to the school’s focus. Dr. Joyner presented a plaque to Mr. Meredith Rosser, GEICO Human Resources Director. Mr. Rosser has served on our CTAE Advisory Board for several years. He has also encouraged his staff to become involved in our schools, and as a result, GEICO representatives are on the advisory boards of all 7 high schools. GEICO is one of the sponsors of our Girls Auto Know Camp and provides automobile safety training for the young ladies as well as financial support for the camp. He has provided employment information to our students, arranged for students to job shadow at GEICO, and much more. For all of these reasons, Meredith Rosser was recognized as our Business Partner of the Year. Dr. Joyner then shared that she would be retiring the end of November, after 35 years in education. She expressed how much she appreciates her association with members of the Advisory Board and their contributions to our CTAE programs and students. The board will meet again in May at which time the members will be asked to review the proposed CTAE FY2014 local plan. Just before the meeting adjournment, Mr. Chambless presented Dr. Joyner with a plaque from the board for her leadership and dedication. Members were thanked for their attendance and input at today’s meeting. The meeting was adjourned by Mr. Chambless at 1:40 p.m. 3