Landing students in a good job following graduation is only a part of the objective for public education, Nacogdoches ISD Superintendent Grey Burton said Wednesday during a roundtable involving NISD, Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas Workforce Commission, area employers and two foundations that have recently provided funding to the district’s education foundation.
“We're working to create opportunities for our students to be successful in life,” he said. “And that’s not just a good job. There’s more to it than that. We want to provide them the skills they need to progress on through to the workforce while also filling the needs our employers have here.
“We’re committed to opening pathways for our students to succeed.”
That means, Burton said, preparing students to be lifelong learners, capable of adjusting as technological advances continue to greatly impact employment and career fields.
“We’re preparing them today for jobs that haven’t even been created yet,” Burton said. “Anything that can be done anywhere else can be done here in East Texas, right here in Nacogdoches.”
The panel was organized by Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation (NEF), which received a $350,000 commitment earlier this year from The Moody Foundation’s M-Pact Fund, which supports postsecondary success for students by equipping them with industry-based certifications, hands-on technical training and meaningful workforce connections that lead to high-wage and high-demand jobs identified as crucial for East Texas employers.
Nacogdoches employers present at the roundtable included Elliott Electrical Supply, Nacogdoches Medical Center, Eaton Corp., and Rex Perry Autoplex.
The meeting represents an effort to more closely align career paths offered to students by NISD with East Texas industry needs. That’s something employers are searching for, whether it is students moving directly into the workforce following graduation from high school or those going on to two-year or four-year colleges and universities or technical schools.
“We’re excited to continue partnering with NISD,” said Hollie Atherton, a manager at NacSpace, a branch company of Elliott Electric Supply that provides IT services. “We want to keep those graduates here to fill jobs.”
Texas Workforce Commissioner Joe Esparza attended the roundtable and praised the community for its collaboration.
“We’re always trying to connect our educational system into that,” said Esparza, who represents employers on the three-person, governor-appointed workforce commission. “We try to understand what industry is needing.”
Having all stakeholders in the room at one time is an important step in the process, said Ed Pool, owner of Charles Pool Real Estate and president of the board of Nacogdoches ISD Education Foundation. “We have everything in one place… employers, state and regional leaders and public education,” Pool said.
During Wednesday’s discussion, SFA President Neal Weaver talked about the importance of students entering college before heading on to the workforce to come with some resilience. “We’re concerned about the abilities of our students to fight through the difficulties of life that arise.”
Weaver also stressed the importance of involving students in different disciplines. A student with an engineering degree coming from an ag background would fill a vital role at a firm such as Priefert Mfg., a farm and ranch manufacturing company based in Mount Pleasant, or an accountant with an understanding of health care would be a great help in a health care setting.
“That’s why we’re emphasizing interdisciplinary studies at SFA,” Weaver said.
“Delivering exceptional care begins with having exceptional talent,” said Jeff Patterson, CEO of Nacogdoches Medical Center.
Health care courses are among the most popular pathways in CTE at Nacogdoches High School, said NEF Executive Director Erin Windham. She also emphasized the reality that CTE no longer means “no college” for students. In May, NHS held CTE signing day, when 88 seniors signed letters of commitment to attend the college or trade school of their choice. The vast majority of students were planning to attend a two-year or four-year college after high school, including 44 students bound for SFA.
The importance of education – specifically public education – is not lost on Bill Elliott, founder and owner of Elliott Electric and a benefactor of NEF. “Every child deserves to get an education, and it’s a great investment,” said Elliott, whose foundation has committed up to $1 million in a matching challenge for the NISD Foundation. “All of us remember a teacher in our life who had a great impact on us.
“We don’t pay those teachers enough and we don’t respect them enough.”