Five GCISD career and technical education (CTE) teachers were selected to participate in an inaugural teacher externship program this summer that places educators with selected Tarrant County employers in high-demand industries such as aerospace, business administration, construction, hospitality, logistics and manufacturing.
The program is funded by a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission and led by Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County (WSTC) in partnership with North Central Texas InterLink, Inc. It provides 75 teachers with 20-hour paid externships where they observe daily operations, learn industry-specific skills, and collaborate directly with professionals.
“The Teacher Externship Program is crucial because it bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world industry experience, empowering educators to better prepare students for the workforce and ensuring that the skills taught in the classroom align with the needs of today's employers,” said Renee Parker, business services director with WSTC.
GCISD CTE Director Stephanie Speaks, who serves on the Interlink board and has established connections with WSTC, emphasized the importance of keeping CTE professional development up with rapidly-changing industries. “Teachers are learning content that is current, relevant and reflective of today’s industry standards,” she said. “They’ll bring back that experience straight into our classrooms.”
Among the participants is CTE Health Sciences teacher Kristi Mordhorst, who was selected for an externship at the Department of Pharmacy with Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Grapevine. A leader in launching GCISD’s CTE pharmacy course in 2023, Mordhorst already knows how she will use the newly-gained experience.
"Our CTE class is about real-world applications and for me to be able to come in [to the pharmacy] and see what I teach in my class as well as experience it in person just gives me so much more insight and knowledge in explaining the ‘why’s and the ‘how’s to my students.”
Mordhorst’s externship supervisor, Pharmacy Manager Claire McGough, said that partnering with education will help grow the pipeline of the future workforce. "Kristi has gained a broader knowledge of our work here, seen what we do, and is now better positioned to answer student questions and inspire them if they want to choose this as a career path.”
Other GCISD CTE teachers selected for externships are expanding their industry learning at Wabtec Corporation; Brumley Printing Co., Inc.; Nerdworks Services LLC; and Benchmark Hospitality at Deloitte University.
“Staying current in any field that you are in is important, especially in the CTE world,” Mordhorst emphasized. “Things change so fast. I was an MRI technician 15 years ago and I can’t imagine the advances that have happened. This externship is a valuable opportunity to enhance my classroom, and I am grateful to Baylor Scott & White, Claire and all of the partners who made this externship happen for teachers.”