Governor Highlights 
CTE At South-Doyle

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks with South-Doyle High School student Robert Owens during a visit to the school on Feb. 15, 2019.

Robert Owens is passionate about his welding class, but it was more exciting than usual on Friday.

Owens and other South-Doyle High School students played host to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who toured the school to learn more about its Career and Technical Education offerings.

Lee, who took office last month, met with students in a variety of classes, including culinary arts, construction and robotics. After the tour, he participated in a roundtable discussion with Knox County Schools superintendent Bob Thomas; Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs; and other community leaders.

Lee has made CTE initiatives a priority of his administration, and recently unveiled the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education. The GIVE program aims to promote regional partnerships supporting work-based learning, and would double the dual-enrollment credits that are funded for trade and technical programs.

Before his election, Lee was chairman of a Middle Tennessee contracting company that worked in areas including HVAC, plumbing and electrical. During the roundtable discussion, Lee said he employed hundreds of people, many of whom earned great wages without a college degree.

“Most of them are a generation that will be gone before long and there’s not much to fill in behind them,” he added. “So what’s happening here and what we’re going to do across the state I think will really be a step in the right direction.”

One of the challenges in CTE education is the rapid pace of technological change. Dr. Keith Wilson, director of CTE for Knox County Schools, told the governor that in fields from STEM to automotive, the district has to ensure that teachers stay current with developments outside the classroom.

Wilson said one way to do that is by fostering partnerships, adding that as the private sector supports teachers and gives insight into curriculum, they “ensure that the classrooms move closer to the pace of where industry is actually going to ask those kids to be.”

One of those students who may eventually bolster the workforce is Owens, who is a junior at South-Doyle.

The student said he is working to perfect his stick-welding skills, with an eye toward a career in the field. “I love this class,” he added.