GOOD BUSINESS

9

Summer Edition 2016

BlueRibbonNews.com

Education is a great investment for our cities, our state 
and our nation – an investment that produces benefits for 
taxpayers, for businesses and, most importantly, for our 
kids. Innovative efforts are being led by businesses and 
schools in Rockwall to help students get ready for the 
workforce, and there are ways for everyone to 
contribute to this progress.

With graduation season upon us, high school and college 
students are quickly looking at continuing their education 
or examining their real-world options for entering the 
workforce. While graduates contemplate the world of 
work with hope and optimism, they probably also 
have traces of trepidation, as do employers.

Across the state of Texas, companies looking to expand 
have revealed that their #1 concern is the difficulty of 
hiring workers with the right skill set. The “right” skill set 
in this rapidly changing economic environment includes 
the capacity to understand advanced technology, and this 
understanding is not exclusive to those having four-year 
college degrees. 

 Students who are unable to attend college for financial 
reasons, or who are not interested in a four-year college 
education, need to know that they have options. Good 
options. There is no need to resort to minimum-wage jobs 
with little room for advancement when there are hundreds 
of high-paying jobs in the skilled trades. Career and 
technical education gives students access to these trades.

Rockwall ISD’s contribution to getting 
kids ready for the jobs that are actually 
out there is the forthcoming College & 
Career Academy. The Academy will 
offer pathways designed to provide 
students with an opportunity to explore 
career options and professional 
certifications in science, technology, 

engineering and math. Available career pathways will 
include architecture, audio & video production, computer 
maintenance & repair, engineering and many others.

Skilled manufacturing jobs are plentiful and require career 
and technical education, along with a strong aptitude for 
math and technology. Students need to know that these jobs 
are available in their own backyard – in their hometown – 
and today’s modern manufacturing is not your grandfather’s 

industry. Today’s manufacturing is clean, computer-
based and technical, requiring brains more than brawn. 
Developing the manufacturing workforce of the future 
depends on reaching high school students while they are 
still formulating plans for their careers – while they are still 
in high school. Working as interns is an effective, proactive 
way to motivate students to consider these careers.

The Rockwall Economic Development Corporation 
supports local businesses providing internships for students 
to see the many options available in fields that they might 
not even know exist. With nearly 1,000 Rockwall students 
having just graduated, it is imperative for local companies 
and schools to bridge the gap in educating students about 
non-college career options that will allow them to be 
gainfully employed right out of high school.

The REDC looks forward to sharing more insight with you 
in future issues. Please visit our website rockwalledc.com 
for more information.

By Sheri Franza, 
Rockwall EDC President & CEO

•••  Economic Development Insight  •••

Home Field Advantage: 

Home-Grown Talent is the Best Asset for Employers