The Montour School District is the recipient of a $93,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to help open career pathways for students in emerging industries.
The “School-to-Work Partnerships” initiative is an innovative effort designed to connect students to emerging industries like robotics, aerospace, AI, cyber security and data.
“Industries where we’re going to see a large increase in demand and at this particular juncture, maybe not a growing workforce,” said Dominic Salpek, Montour’s director of Instruction and Academic Achievement.
To prepare students for immediate employment and long-term success in high-demand fields, Montour’s initiative calls for hands-on experiences like job shadowing, industry-recognized credentialing and cutting-edge curriculum.
The district is already having conversations about possible certifications with robotic technicians. The long-term goal is to do as much of the credentialing as possible at Montour High School.
“I think we have a pretty pragmatic plan, the way we’re going about it,” Salpek pointed out.
By partnering with organizations like Aerotech, Point Park University and Ready Al, the district plans to blend classroom learning with real-world opportunities, ensuring all students— including those from underserved communities — are equipped with the skills and connections needed to thrive in the workforce of tomorrow.
A large part of the grant allows for equipment upgrades and supplies on the technology front.
The plan is to have programming for the “School-to-Work Partnerships” initiative in place by the fall, to help prepare students to pursue careers in fields they might not know exist.
“It’s a challenge because there’s not necessarily a template, but when you reach outside of our circle and talk to people in the field you start getting input from them and you start telling them what you’re trying to do and it’s just amazing how rich the conversations have been,” Salpek said.
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