TECH PREP: A win/win for every one!

When asked to assess the value of Tech Prep from the point of view of business, I can not construct this answer from only one perspective. There are simply many stakeholders that benefit from this initiative. Done well, the following are the primary recipients of Tech Prep:

Students - They receive a course of studies that provides both rigor and relevance. They will be more valuable as graduates, or more prepared if they choose to start post-secondary education.

Parents - Their children will perform better in school, and be more employable, if they choose the employment route. Additionally, college credit achieved during their secondary career will reduce the cost of college, if that is the preferred route.

Community - More students enter the community with better skill sets, that leads to better jobs, which leads to more productive citizens.

Educators - More successful students means more students in the system, which leads to higher retention rates, better grades, and more revenue from the state funding formula. More engaged students tend to reduce discipline issues, and generally makes the school day more productive and less costly, per student.

Business/Employers - By now the value of Tech Prep should be a no-brainer. We will have more, better, mature inputs to the employee pipeline. Our cost to recruit, employ, and train new employees is significantly reduced. That allows for a more competitive business community. In the end, my taxes are better spent, and my children and grandchildren will be able to find profitable, meaningful employment in their own community.

Art Lacy

Quality FCE & Associates LLC

Past Board Chair, North Central Texas Tech Prep Consortium