Over 600 teachers and staff from Bristol Tennessee City Schools were in attendance for the 27th annual Teacher Industry Day which paired 71 teachers with local industries to learn the educational requirements for job positions in our community. The all-day event began with breakfast and then BTCS Board of Education Chair Eric Cuddy, BTCS Director of Schools Dr. Annette Tudor, and BTES CEO Clayton Dowell welcomed attendees.
“BTES is happy to facilitate the common goal of preparing our students today for jobs of tomorrow,” said Dowell. “By bringing educators and industry together we all can engage our students in opportunities that are available in our community.”
Prior to today’s event, over 800 teachers have participated in the program over the past 27 years.
“We are thankful for the Teacher Industry Day partnership with BTES, TVA, and participating industries,” said Tudor. “It has traditionally been an event for secondary teachers, and this is the first year we are launching our school year with all staff participating in some capacity.”
Teacher Industry Day has received international recognition from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for its success.
Tudor continued, “We know that teachers are a key source of career inspiration for students. Therefore, we think it is important to increase their awareness of the opportunities that exist for students in the local workforce and help them explore ways to connect what students are learning to future careers.”
The industries involved in the program also see its importance for our community and students.
John Baker, Director of Operations at Wallace Collision Center, explained, “Teacher Industry Day is an invaluable opportunity for educators to gain firsthand insight into the skills and knowledge required in today's workforce. By engaging with professionals in various fields, teachers can better prepare their students for future careers. We are thrilled to be part of this initiative and look forward to sharing our experiences and expertise with the teaching community as they help develop and prepare our local students to become our future business leaders.
Participating industries include Ascent Tubular Products, Bell Helicopter, Bristol Tennessee Essential Services, Bristol Tennessee Fire Department, Bristol Tennessee Police Department, Chick-fil-A, City of Bristol Tennessee, Coldstar, Economy Beauty, H. Johnson Pharmacy, HSN, Integrated Health Concepts, J. Christene Salon, JA Street & Associates, Kintronic Laboratories, KPS Global, Mattern & Craig, Metz Culinary Management, Microporous, Modern Forge, Pratt Triad, Royal Mouldings, Seaman Corporation, Sturdy Lite, Teleperformance, The Robinette Company, Tri-City Extrusion, Turtleson, UPM Pharmaceuticals, USAntibiotics, Vitaulic, Vulcan, and Wallace Collision Center.
BTES and the Tennessee Valley Authority have sponsored the event since its inception.
