Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC®) stimulates job growth within the commonwealth by creating dependable talent pipelines in strategic, STEM-focused sectors. A talent pathway initiative, GO TEC introduces Virginia middle school students to emerging, STEM-focused career fields through hands-on Career Connections Labs.

Public and private partnerships drive the success of this program, which is administered by the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR).

Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, more than 11,000 students from 73 Virginia middle schools from Abingdon to Virginia Beach will interact with the GO TEC Career Connections curriculum annually.

Participating GO TEC Localities 

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GO TEC to Add 21 New Schools in the 2025-2026 School Year
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Third Annual GO TEC VEX IQ Robotics Competition Draws Record Participation
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“The core needs across Virginia and the nation are the same. We need to expose students to opportunities earlier, change parents’ mindsets about some of these opportunities, and then bring the voice of business and industry into the classroom. GO TEC is designed to do each of those things and more.” – Dr. Julie Brown, Vice President of Advanced Learning, IALR

IALR serves as the fiscal agent and program lead for GO TEC, which is supported and guided by partners that include K12 school systems, higher education, industry and economic development.

GO TEC Website

Career Awareness

The primary goal of the GO TEC program is to let students experience in-demand and growing manufacturing and engineering career fields with applied learning. In other words, this strategic career education is memorable, hands-on and fun. 

Each of the modules includes technology-driven, hands-on learning that grows students’ awareness of available and emerging careers.

"Businesses see the GO TEC classes and recognize the program’s value to inspire middle students as a source for their future workforce. The effectiveness of the GO TEC program – and how it funnels directly into a variety of other strong, proven workforce training programs – is a primary selling…"
Linda Green / Vice President of Economic Development, IALR; Executive Director, SVRA
"They’re eager to go to class, they’re eager to learn, and they’re eager to learn about how they can build different things. They can see the application of what they’re learning in other classes. They’ll learn about angles in math class, and then in GO TEC they’ll see why it’s…"
Dr Chip Jones / Superintendent, Cumberland County Public Schools
"They especially love the 3D printing, laser cutting and robotics, but you’ll get a few ‘aha’ moments with pretty much every module. I have the best job in education."
Christy Shelton / GO TEC Career Connections Teacher, Gretna Middle School
"There’s a lag time for education to respond to emerging technologies and industries. The GO TEC program focuses on shortening the lag time by introducing middle schoolers to these growing career opportunities and innovative technologies that are already taking root. This is an economic development initiative as much as it…"
Dr Julie Brown / Vice President of Advanced Learning, IALR
"EO partners with IALR on the GO TEC program to strengthen Southwest Virginia’s workforce pipeline, drive innovation, and contribute to a thriving local economy. We are thrilled that the GO TEC curriculum is spreading across Southwest Virginia, introducing our students to careers they can be excited about."
Travis Staton / President & CEO, EO 
"Introducing students to STEM careers early through hands-on experiences helps spark genuine curiosity and excitement. Students begin connecting classroom activities directly to future career possibilities, which motivates deeper engagement and more informed choices."
Angela Brown / GO TEC Director, IALR
"This class gives you a lot of opportunities to learn new things. It changes your perspective on different careers."
Brayla Pickeral / 8th grader at Chatham Middle School.
"If you’re not sure what you want to do when you grow up career-wise, this is the perfect class. It goes over a bunch of careers, and it’s great."
Keith Hare / 8th grader at Chatham Middle School
"Across the state, we embed in middle schools this innovative experience that gets students excited, engaged, exposed to and connected with meaningful, hands-on curriculum in a variety of career pathways."
Jake Taylor / GO TEC Technical and Training Manager, IALR

GO TEC Modules

Electrical Engineering Mechanical Engineering  Manufacturing Engineering
Automation & Robotics Welding Precision Machining
Healthcare Technologies IT Coding & Networking  Metrology
Precision Agriculture Energy 
  

 

Many of the industry pathways covered in the program, such as welding and automation & robotics, require critical skills needed across various industries. Other modules, like precision agriculture, are focused on a specific industry and combine various skills from other modules. 

The GO TEC Career Connections program curriculum is both flexible and scalable to meet the workforce and economic development needs of participating GO Virginia regions. Each module’s equipment and content are standardized, ensuring that students across the commonwealth receive the best instruction.

A student at Gretna Middle School uses a virtual reality welding simulator as part of the GO TEC Career Connections curriculum.

Some school divisions offer GO TEC as an elective course that students can choose to take; others require that every student complete the curriculum at some point during middle school. Some divisions even have the capacity for students to have sequential experiences across multiple grade levels. It depends on the size of the individual school and the division.

In addition to middle schools, the GO TEC team is also supporting the creation of STEM-focused career and technical education opportunities for 9th and 10th grade.

GO TEC staff also operate the GO TEC Mobile Lab, which is equipped with all the same equipment as the middle school labs and can be utilized for teacher training or student experiences. 

The GO TEC Mobile Lab

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A Talent Pathway

While the middle school labs are the most innovative element of the GO TEC program, the multi-region effort is about more than technology integration and early exposure.

Through partnerships with K12 school systems, higher education and industry, GO TEC is a collaborative talent pathway model that begins in middle school and continues through high school, dual enrollment and postsecondary programs.

The GO TEC Career Connections Labs introduce students to these strategic, technology-focused sectors – and help them identify the education and skills needed to pursue those careers.

GO TEC uses a hub-and-spoke model to progressively generate the desired robust talent pipeline. Middle schoolers are introduced early to the occupations and base skill training in Career Connections Labs, an example of a spoke. They are then connected in high school to expanded career and technical education (CTE) courses, industry certification programs and dual-enrollment training opportunities with higher education partners. Finally, students may progress to advanced-level training at a hub educational provider.

There are four GO TEC Teacher Training labs across the Commonwealth

The program has proved to be an effective recruiting tool for companies interested in expanding into Southern Virginia. The effectiveness and uniqueness of the GO TEC program – and how it funnels directly into other strong workforce training programs – is a primary selling point for Southern Virginia.

The GO TEC program fits into two strategic focus areas of IALR’s Advanced Learning division: connecting students to careers and providing applied STEM education opportunities.

Expanding with Partners 

GO TEC started as a pilot program in Danville Public Schools and Pittsylvania County Schools in 2018-2019. In the seven years since then, the program has effectively spread across the commonwealth. GO TEC Career Connections Labs will be in 73 Virginia middle schools in the 2025-26 academic year.

The GO TEC program is still young. The first cohort of students who experienced multiple years of the Career Connections Labs just completed their senior year of high school. GO TEC staff are looking at preliminary data to determine necessary tracking measurements, students’ entry rate into CTE pathways and related career outcomes.

The growth of the GO TEC framework is the result of strong partnerships, significant investments from GO Virginia and support from three in-region coordinating entities (IRCEs) – Endless Opportunity, the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Old Dominion University.

The program leverages $9 million in total funding from GO Virginia, along with another $11 million from localities, federal agencies and philanthropy. A $3.4 million grant from GO Virginia is driving the current expansion efforts. The program is only possible because of widespread public and private sector support. For instance, localities and school divisions invest in the equipment needed to outfit the labs at each school and provide the space and classroom teachers.

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