GO TEC

A Talent Pipeline that Starts in Middle School

Employers need skilled talent, communities need stronger workforce pipelines, and educators need meaningful ways to connect classroom learning to future opportunities.

The Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC®) program is a career exploration and talent pipeline initiative that helps address all three needs by exposing middle schoolers to high-demand career sectors. The program embeds hands-on learning experiences with industry-aligned technologies directly into middle schools, equipping students with foundational knowledge, skills and exposure to career pathways.

GO TEC, administered by the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, introduces students to strategic, technology-focused sectors and helps them identify the education and skills needed to pursue those careers. Through partnerships with school divisions, higher education institutions, employers and economic development organizations, GO TEC creates a seamless pathway from career exploration to advanced training and employment opportunities.

GO TEC will operate in 84 Virginia middle schools and 87 GO TEC labs during the 2026-27 school year, reaching students from Hampton Roads to Southwest Virginia. What began as a pilot in three schools has grown into a statewide initiative with increasing opportunities for expansion in Virginia and beyond.

Create Stronger Talent Pipelines

Partner with GO TEC

“GO TEC is the best career prep exploration that any public school can offer.”

— Dr. Gwyn Stone, Career and Technical Education Director, Danville Public Schools

Career-Connected Learning That Builds Awareness and Opportunity

Students cannot pursue opportunities they do not know exist.

GO TEC helps students explore future possibilities through hands-on learning experiences connected to industries, technologies and careers that are shaping Virginia’s economy. By introducing these opportunities in middle school, students begin to build awareness of educational pathways and career options years before they enter the workforce.

The program aligns with career and technical education standards and uses a competency-based framework that connects classroom experiences to future opportunities. Students engage directly with technologies, equipment and concepts used in modern workplaces, helping them understand how math, science and problem-solving skills connect to future educational and career opportunities.

The GO TEC Model

GO TEC News

10.20.26

Building the Teacher Pipeline Behind Career-Connected Learning

09.28.26

Inside IALR Podcast: From 3 Schools to 84: The GO TEC Story

08.05.26

Summer Interns Make Their Mark at IALR

07.10.26

Jacob Taylor Named Interim GO TEC Director

Hands-On Learning in High-Demand Industries

GO TEC currently offers 11 instructional modules that introduce students to industries, technologies and career pathways critical to Virginia’s future workforce. The modules help students and parents gain a more accurate understanding of modern manufacturing, engineering, healthcare and technology careers and the opportunities they offer.

GO TEC Modules

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

Each module helps students connect classroom concepts to real-world applications while exploring the educational and career pathways associated with those fields. GO TEC modules make classroom learning more relevant by demonstrating how concepts learned in mathematics, science and technology courses are used in modern industries every day.

The GO TEC curriculum is flexible and scalable, allowing participating schools to customize implementation around local workforce priorities. Existing delivery models range from nine-week courses to semester-long offerings, depending on local needs and school schedules. The program is aligned with Virginia Department of Education course codes and may be aligned with course codes in other states.

While the cadence is flexible, the equipment, curriculum and learning objectives are standardized across participating schools, ensuring high-quality experiences for students.

Explore the GO TEC Modules

"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 Teacher, Gretna Middle School

"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

"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 / Interim Director, GO TEC

A Seamless Talent Pathway That Creates Value

GO TEC was designed as part of a larger talent development pathway.

Through partnerships among K-12 education, higher education, workforce organizations and industry, GO TEC helps create a pathway that begins with career exploration and can continue through high school career and technical education, dual enrollment, postsecondary education and workforce training opportunities.

That pathway creates value across the workforce development ecosystem:

Students gain confidence, exposure to emerging technologies and a better understanding of future opportunities.
Schools improve career-connected learning while supporting career and technical education goals.
Employers help build awareness of careers and contribute to long-term talent pipeline development.
Communities grow workforce pipelines and support economic development efforts

See the GO TEC Value

Expanding through Partnership

What began as a pilot serving three middle schools in Danville and Pittsylvania County has expanded across Virginia through strong public-private partnerships and strategic investments, particularly from GO Virginia.

There are four GO TEC Teacher Training Labs across the Commonwealth, located at:

IALR
Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing
Old Dominion University
EO

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.

Today, the program continues to grow in Virginia and is actively pursuing additional partnerships and projects to support continued growth in Virginia and national expansion.

Opportunities exist for:

Virginia public and private schools interested in implementing GO TEC.
Industry partners and sponsors interested in supporting talent development and career-connected learning.
Workforce development organizations and educational leaders interested in bringing GO TEC to new regions and states.
Community organizations, foundations and other supporters committed to strengthening career readiness opportunities for students.

GO TEC Partnership Opportunities

Building a Sustainable Future

GO TEC is in the process of implementing a business plan that diversifies revenue sources, reduces reliance on grants and strengthens long-term sustainability. This approach will support continued growth and ensure that even more students, schools and industry partners can continue to benefit from the program for years to come.

Building on strong demand, statewide momentum and established partnerships, GO TEC is focused on expanding impact while maintaining the quality, consistency and hands-on learning experiences that have become hallmarks of the program.

Connect with the GO TEC Team

Are you interested in getting GO TEC in your school division? Want to know more about our impact? Get in touch with us!