Seguin Virtual Panel Discussion in Celebration of Career and Technical Education Month

Seguin, TX – A component of both the Seguin Economic Development Corporation (Seguin EDC) and the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce’s business retention and expansion program (BRE) is to ensure that the primary employers within their communities have access to a skilled workforce. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, both entities worked with local school districts to develop workforce pipelines for their local primary employers and specifically hosted an in-person Seguin Job Shadow Program for students in the 9-12th grade. With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, these efforts became even more crucial as the pandemic created a challenge to reach local students to help them develop a fuller understanding of available career opportunities within their own community.. Adaptability during the pandemic became key and spurred an idea that would take the place of the in-person event to celebrate Career and Technical Education month by showcasing a pre-recorded panel of industry representatives across all the major industries in our community.

The Seguin Industry Panel was a collaborative effort between the Seguin Economic Development Corporation, Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce, Seguin ISD, Navarro ISD and Marion ISD.

Participating businesses included: Lone Star Home Solutions (Architectural/Construction), Joe Cools A/C & Heating (Small Business), Caterpillar Inc (Manufacturing), Seguin Police Department (Public Safety), Seguin IT Department (Information Technology), Guadalupe Regional Medical Center (Healthcare), Family Life Services (Human Services) and Navarro ISD (Education).

“‘It’s important for students to adjust to an always changing world. We incorporated virtual panel discussions so that the students can continue to get a glimpse into the environment in their career field of interest.” said Josh Schneuker, Executive Director of the Seguin Economic Development Corporation.

Kendy Gravett, Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce President said, “Students will be able to experience first-hand what it's actually like working in specific jobs in our community, and hopefully will consider such an occupation in the future.”

The Seguin All Industry pre-recorded panel interviews was planned in conjunction with Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, a public awareness campaign that takes place each February to celebrate the value of CTE, as well as the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country. CTE directly prepares students for high-wage, high-demand careers that cover many different fields, including health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing, hospitality, management and many more.