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GO TEC® Announces Angela Rigney as Director

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GO TEC® Announces Angela Rigney as Director

GO TEC® Announces Angela Rigney as Director

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) is proud to announce an innovative educator and champion for career and technical education, Angela Rigney, has been named the director of the Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC®) program, effective Feb. 19. Most recently spending 13 years as the Director of Career, Technical and Adult Education for Pittsylvania County Schools, Rigney brings more than two decades of experience in K12 education and adult workforce development programs.

With a vision to inspire and prepare students for high-demand careers in technology and engineering, GO TEC is an innovative talent development initiative that started in Southern Virginia and is expanding across the Commonwealth. Rigney will oversee the program’s growth as Career Connections Labs and curriculum are implemented throughout Virginia in middle schools from Abingdon to Hampton Roads.

“I am honored by this opportunity to lead GO TEC, especially during this critical time of growth. Working with our many partners across K12, industry, higher education and economic development, we will continue to inspire middle school students, highlight STEM careers and, ultimately, create dependable talent pipelines.” – Angela Rigney, GO TEC Director

The GO TEC program provides middle school students with innovative, hands-on exposure to careers in strategic sectors – and helps them identify the steps needed to pursue those careers. IALR serves as the fiscal agent and program lead for GO TEC, which provides applied STEM education and connects students to careers in strategic growth sectors.

“Angela’s dedication to educational excellence and her experience with career and technical education initiatives align perfectly with our mission to drive economic growth through STEM education, skill development and work-based learning. We are confident that Angela will be a capable and visionary leader for GO TEC as we continue to expand and enhance our efforts in preparing students for the workforce of tomorrow.” – Dr. Julie Brown, Vice President of Advanced Learning, IALR

Rigney joins the GO TEC program at a critical moment in the program’s growth. Through GO Virginia, local government and philanthropic funding and in partnership with three in-region coordinating entities (IRCEs) – EO (formerly the United Way of Southwest Virginia), the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) and Old Dominion University Research Foundation (ODURF) – the GO TEC team is implementing the GO TEC Career Connections curriculum and classrooms in middle schools across the Commonwealth. After starting as a pilot program in Danville and Pittsylvania County Schools, more than 9,000 students from 44 different middle schools will interact with the GO TEC curriculum annually beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.

In more than 20 years working with Pittsylvania County Schools, Rigney’s titles included Agriculture Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal and Director of Career, Technical and Adult Education. Rigney holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Radford University and a Bachelor of Science in agriculture from Ferrum College.

About GO TEC

GO TEC delivers workforce training and talent development through a collaborative, hub-and-spoke model that involves K12 school systems, higher education and industry. Starting in middle school Career Connections Labs and continuing through high school, dual enrollment and postsecondary programs, GO TEC engages students in hands-on learning in high-demand career pathways such as precision machining, welding, IT and cybersecurity, robotics and automation, mechatronics and advanced materials.

About IALR

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves Virginia as a regional catalyst for economic transformation with applied research, advanced learning, advanced manufacturing, conference center services and economic development efforts. IALR’s major footprint focuses within Southern Virginia, including the counties of Patrick, Henry, Franklin, Pittsylvania, Halifax, and Mecklenburg, as well as the cities of Martinsville and Danville.

GO TEC Talent Development Project for GO Virginia Regions 3, 1, 4 Launches New Website

GO TEC Talent Development Project for GO Virginia Regions 3, 1, 4 Launches New Website

The Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC) staff and advisory board have launched a new website, www.gotecva.org, for the GO TEC talent development project supported by GO Virginia for Regions 3, 1 and 4.

The website features the GO TEC name and brand developed earlier in the year. It also includes information, news and resources for the hub-and-spoke talent development model that aims to create a sustainable pipeline of skilled workers strategic focus areas, including advanced materials; IT/cybersecurity; precision machining; robotics, automation and mechatronics; and welding.  The development process was completed with the input of students, educators, industry, economic developers and GO TEC Advisory Board members and was coordinated by the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, fiscal agent. Website feedback continues to be invited via an online survey accessible at the site; responses will be assessed to continue to improve the website experience and add further content.

“It is with great anticipation that we announce the new GO TEC website, gotecva.org, our information hub for program information moving forward,” said Dr. Tammy Hurt, GO TEC Program Manager. “The website and other communication efforts will help us amplify our cause and important milestones, which are vital to successfully growing our program.”

In June 2020, the GO Virginia State Board approved $3.6 million, the full remaining Phase 2 funding for GO TEC, based on successful outcomes of Phase 1. The GO Virginia grant will be supplemented by funding from other public and private sources. In March 2019, GO TEC received the largest grant to date from the GO Virginia competitive funding pool. The GO Virginia State Board approved an investment of up to $4.9 million, which will be matched 1-to-1 by support from more than 17 local partners.

GO TEC extended the pipeline to about 1,414 students of the following six participating middle schools during the 2019-2020 school year:  Chatham and Gretna Middle Schools in Pittsylvania County, O.T. Bonner and Westwood Middle Schools in Danville, Cumberland (County) Middle School and Price Edward (County) Middle School. During the 2020-2021 school year, the following 11 additional middle schools will join the GO TEC training program and partnership:  Dan River and Tunstall Middle Schools in Pittsylvania County, James S. Russell Middle School in Brunswick County, E.W. Wyatt Middle School in Greensville County, Halifax (County) Middle School, Laurel Park Middle School in Henry County, Lunenburg (County) Middle School, Martinsville Middle School, Bluestone Middle School in Mecklenburg County, Nottoway (County) Middle School and Patrick County High. Dual enrollment programs with GO TEC higher education partners continue to expand in high schools across the region. These higher education partners are also experiencing growth in their GO TEC-related, on-campus programs in areas such as welding, precision machining, IT, mechatronics and more. They include:  Danville Community College, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, New College Institute and Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center in South Boston, Southside Virginia Community College in Charlotte and Brunswick Counties and Wytheville Community College.    

Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC) delivers workforce training and talent development through a collaborative, hub-and-spoke model that involves K-12 school systems, higher education and industry. It targets in-demand career pathways identified across Southern and Southwest Virginia like IT/cybersecurity; robotics, automation and mechatronics; precision machining; welding; and advanced materials. Participating GO Virginia Regions include 1, 3 and 4, an area that encompasses many of Virginia’s rural counties stretching from Wythe County to Greensville County. For more information, visit www.gotecva.org.