Sherman ISD Building Bearcats Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 15

College. Upon completion students earn two industry
Certificates from Grayson College and one National
Certificate as they gain valuable experience through a
paid internship with an area manufacturer.
The Industrial Maintenance Technology Program
will welcome its first group of students this fall and
emphasizes electrical and mechanical skills. Offered
only to seniors, the program is an industry driven
partnership between local industries, Sherman
ISD, Grayson College, and the Sherman Economic
Development Corporation.
Students must complete an application process
to be considered for the Industrial Maintenance
Technology program. Acceptance into the program
is intentionally small to maximize the learning
experience. The college-level program provides
a $4,000 scholarship, funded by the Sherman
Economic Development Corporation and six area
manufacturers, which covers the cost of books and
Grant Benefits SISD
Manufacturing Program
Sherman ISD students enrolled in the Advanced Manufacturing
program at Sherman High School will be among those who will
benefit from a $100,000 Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) High
Demand Job Training grant. The TWC grant matches funds already
contributed by the Sherman Economic Development Corporation
(SEDCO) and Denison Development Alliance (DDA) to establish
advanced manufacturing programs at Sherman and Denison high
schools.
A Manufacturing Consortium that included the Sherman Economic
Development Corporation, Sherman
ISD, Denison ISD, Denison Development
Alliance, Grayson College, and Workforce
Solutions Texoma was formed in 2015
as part of an effort to address shrinking
workforce concerns in manufacturing
careers. The Consortium set out to develop
an Advanced Manufacturing program for
high school students to train and attract
skilled workers to the industry.
“The relationship we share between industry, economic development,
local schools, and Workforce is truly unique,” said Mark Anderson,
chair of the Manufacturing Consortium.  “All these entities have
worked collaboratively to develop a manufacturing technology
program that will benefit manufacturers, students and our
communities for years to come.”  
SEDCO and DDA each contributed $50,000 toward establishing
the program at Grayson College for Sherman and Denison high
school students. The TWC grant will be used to purchase specialized
equipment needed for the Grayson College manufacturing classroom
where students learn through hands-on training. The $4,000
per-student tuition fee is paid for through a partnership with local
industries, economic developers and Grayson College. The college
tuition for one school year. Through the program,
students complete an internship at a local industry
alongside an experienced mentor while they earn a
Certificate in Industrial Maintenance Technology Level
1 from Grayson College for free.
Both Sherman High School manufacturing career
pathways are designed to address workforce needs
in the Sherman region and serve as examples of
how innovative Career and Technical Education
programs, in collaboration with communit y partners,
can be developed. The programs also highlight
the important role high schools play in preparing
students for the global workforce.
“We project that 30 percent of the current
manufacturing employee workforce will be ready
to retire over the next decade,” Stacey said. “The
manufacturing career pathways will help address
these workforce needs right here in Sherman.”
level Dual Credit program is free to Sherman High School students
because of this partnership.
“The money provided by Workforce, Denison Development Alliance
and Sherman Economic Development Corporation to be used in
conjunction with the investment Grayson College and our local
schools have made demonstrates a commitment to manufacturing
by establishing a foundation to provide a pipeline of skilled labor,”
Anderson said.  
Executive Director of Workforce Solutions Texoma, Janie Bates,
says the partnerships provide greater opportunities for high school
students upon graduation. “Graduates will receive priority when
applying for local manufacturing jobs and will have opportunities for
higher paying positions and future training
with many companies,” says Bates.
The Sherman ISD Advanced Manufacturing
Systems Career Pathway is a comprehensive
multi-year program that started in the
fall of 2016 and offers students free Dual
Credit courses in partnership with Grayson
College. Upon completion students earn two
industry certificates from Grayson College
and one national certificate as they gain valuable experience through a
paid internship with an area manufacturer.
“Innovative programs like the manufacturing career pathway
connect our students to the real world of work and the professional
environments we are preparing them to enter upon high school
graduation,” said Dr. David Hicks, SISD Superintendent. “We’re
working to emulate this type of programming across multiple
disciplines.”
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