The Chester County Economic Development Council Releases Student Impact Data

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CCEDC
Young women tour a Sikorsky helicopter during Girls Exploring Tomorrow's Technology 2015.

The Chester County Economic Development Council impacted 3,353 students in the past school year through various programs of the council’s Industry Partnerships, according to information released today.

“Preparing our future workforce is one of the prime goals of the Economic Development Council,” said President and CEO Gary Smith. “Students should be prepared when they enter the business world and these programs add to their education.”

The industry partnerships include AgConnect, The Chester County Health Care Partnership, Innovative Technology Action Group, The Manufacturing Alliance of Chester and Delaware Counties, and The Smart Energy Initiative.

The Economic Development Council partners with middle and high schools, community colleges, universities and companies to deliver employer-led student outreach for growing the pipeline of talented graduates in order to keep intellectual talent employed in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Some of the programs included Girls Exploring Tomorrow’s Technology, Techies Day, Career Exploration Showcases, and Community Career days.

 

Girls Exploring Tomorrow’s Technology is an annual day-long event in the spring for girls in grades 6 to 12 and their parents to learn about career opportunities in a broad scope of STEM-related industries. The day is filled with workshops led by successful women. The 15th annual day was held at Great Valley High School with 531 middle and high school students in attendance as well as 184 parents and educators. New this year was a pilot program with 60 fifth grade students as well as a tradeshow-style expo with 45 exhibitors conducting hands-on activities.

 Techies Day is an annual event for high school students to learn about technology careers.  Students spend a half-day, at area employers, learning about the dynamic organizations, the technology that drives those organizations, and the people that drive the technology. More than 325 students and teachers from 17 schools participated in the 16th annual Techies Day. The 2014 participating companies included AGI, ANRO, Evolve IP, FARO Technologies, InternU, QVC, Schramm, SEI, Southco, Sungard, Unisys, Vanguard, Vertex, and Waste Oil Recyclers.

Career Showcases in manufacturing, health care, smart energy, IT, and agriculture were held. Students had an opportunity to explore a variety of local businesses and learn first-hand about career education paths. A total of 588 students participated this year.  The 19 employers taking part included Longwood Gardens, University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, The Artisan Exchange, Paoli Hospital, Kendal-Crosslands Communities, Omega Design, Aerzen, USSC Group, and more.

Throughout the year, the Industry Partnerships participate in community-planned events and career fairs to share career information about high priority occupations with students. This year, more than 1,900 students were impacted through five community events/career days.

The Chester County Economic Development Council is a private, non-profit economic development organization promoting smart growth in Chester County and the surrounding region for more than 50 years. The CCEDC provides proven financing solutions, cultivates workforce talent, leverages business partnerships, and fosters entrepreneurial collaboration. Together, with the support of the private and public sectors, CCEDC initiates, implements and innovates programs that improve the business community and enhance the quality of life in Chester County. For more information, visit our website, www.cceconomicdevelopment.com

This activity is part of the overall implementation of VISTA 2025, Chester County’s economic development strategy, in that it helps to achieve Strategy 2.4 – “Develop a campaign to expand awareness and perception among local youth regarding the breadth and depth of career opportunities in Chester County.”

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