On Thursday, May 20, 2021, Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center (CATEC) hosted its School-to-Work Signing Day event in CATEC's auditorium. This appointment- based celebration recognized nine students who have shown dedication, hard work, and commitment to continue working at local businesses, allowing these students to use their skillset learned at CATEC in the workplace.
These students gained internship or apprenticeship opportunities last school year or when CATEC resumed in-person instruction in December. Most students were enrolled at CATEC last year, or for the last two years, and continued their CATEC enrollment and employment throughout the pandemic. Students earned high school and college credit while earning income. And, during the pandemic, students were able to continue building their hands-on knowledge while many others were sidelined until school resumed in school buildings. Many of these students will continue their educations as registered apprentices when they graduate from high school.
The School-to-Work Signing Day Event was sponsored by Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Foundation (CATEF), Red Wing Shoes, and Diamondback Toolbelts. Each student left the event with a gift card valued at $188 to pick out a pair of Red Wing shoes of their choice at the Pantops location. Red Wing brought out its mobile shoe store for the event as well. Diamondback displayed many of its toolbelt options and offered a 20% discount to students. CATEF purchased starter toolbelts for students entering the construction industry.
The following students participated in CATEC's 2021 School-to-Work Signing Day Event:
- Allen Ragland- Dependable Heating and Air
- Schuyler Richardson- Greene Hills Country Club
- Cinthyan Saavreda Mata- Jim Price Chevrolet
- Corey Collier- Davis Electric
- Tyler Morris- Malloy Ford
- Dalton Hare- Robertson Electric
- Wade Walton- Piedmont Power
- William Gillbert- Southern Air, Inc.
- Daniel Snoddy- Southern Air, Inc.
Thank you to all of our students, parents, CATEC instructors and staff, sponsors, and local businesses that support work-based learning opportunities for our students. To see more about our School-to-Work Signing Day event, click to see local news coverage of the event: