TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Independent School District’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program supported students as they earned over 368 industry certifications last year and the program is on track to see that number rise this year. Now, students in the Temple High School CTE program will have even more opportunities to gain experience and specialized training thanks to several new partnerships and grants.
The Temple Area Builders Association (TABA) and Turley Engineering recently presented a check for $6,000 to the Temple High School construction department. The donation will be used to enhance students’ educational experience by providing more opportunities, resources, and cutting-edge tools. The funds may also be used a seed money to help construction students start another tiny house project. Construction Technology teacher Stephen Bishop calls community partnerships vital to the programs success and credits them for bridging the gap between education and real-world opportunities that allow students to thrive and grow. Bishop says it is not just about the financial support; it is about creating a network of support and collaboration that benefits everyone involved.
“We are immensely grateful for the generosity of Turley and the TABA,” Bishop said. “This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration between education and industry. With their support, our students will have the resources and opportunities they need to reach their full potential, and together, we’re building a brighter future for our community.”
The TISD board of trustees is also expected to approve a Memorandum of Understanding creating a partnership with Epperson Paint and Body during its monthly meeting next Tuesday (October 10). The partnership between THS and Epperson will provide students in the THS Automotive Paint and Body pathway with the opportunity to get hands-on professional experience working side-by-side with the staff on site at Epperson. The partnership will continue CTE’s integration of academic rigor, technical competencies, and employability skills through real-world, work-based learning settings. This is the first year the paint and body pathway at THS has had senior-level students, making it the ideal time for the partnership with Epperson to begin.
“Community partnerships, regional support, and statewide awards continue to roll in for the Temple ISD CTE program,” said Dr. Bobby Ott, superintendent of Temple schools. “This is proof of concept that Temple will continue being a statewide leader in CTE. Further, it highlights the reasons why: our teacher-student experiences, business partnerships, and amazing community. These are all unique to Temple ISD.”
The Temple High School CTE program was also awarded a $331,346 Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant from the Texas Workforce Commission last month. That grant money is earmarked to help train and educate 290 students as licensed vocational nurses. The JET grants are funded through the Texas Legislature and are used to defray start-up costs to develop career and technical education programs for public community, state and technical colleges, school districts and charter schools. This year, the TWC awarded 42 JET grants totaling over $11 million.
“Industry aligned program sequences and partnerships have defined Temple ISD’s CTE program from the beginning,” Ott added. “We are grateful for the community support given to our students and staff, and I assure you, we will continue to be the CTE leader at any table.”