Members Present: Adrienne Allen
Chris Bryant
Ken Bunch
Michele Fletcher
Pat Gatti
Debbie Gilliam
Jill Markwood
Wil Perez
Natalie Prue
Lee Tooks

Members Absent:Kris Collins
Michael Farris
Kenny Holt
Patti Saffioti

Old Business: CTE Academy

New Business: CTE Academy

Recommendations to the College Governance Committee: Nothing at this time.

Suggestions/Items to be shared with other groups:

• Jill brings meeting to order
• Pat asks Jill if the department name CTE Academy is a state designation.
• Chris explains there is not a state designation. Pat says that means we are not restricted as to how to brand it. Jill says she would get some directive regarding branding.
• Hailey asks if the branding might change. Jill says it could.
• Jill asks if everyone has looked at the minutes. Pat moves to accept the minutes. Motion approved.
• Jill asks the committee where we are with the CTE Academy and what is going on with the career coaches.
• Debbie explains that students have been informed about the upcoming CTE Academy in Appomattox.
• Amherst center director Adrienne says there is no career coach but there are 25 CTE Academy seats awarded to Amherst.
• Michele says that nothing has panned out yet. She said at this time there is no plan for a CTE Academy Open House or anything of that nature. She says Jason has participated in the virtual Information Sessions. She also adds that he will speak at the college virtual Open House on April 13.
• Michele also remarks that the new CTE Coordinator in charge of working with the schools will handle some of the awareness issues.
• Jill says they are interviewing for those positions.
• 2
• Jill references the Zoom chat area for the CTE 2021 “program launch” document that Jason has filled out.
• Jill shared her screen to show the CTE flyer to the group. She asked the committee to look it over and let her know if there any changes.
• Jill next showed the CTE logo designs and asked Chris who is going to approve the logos. Will it be the President’s Cabinet? Chris said yes. She also referenced the comments she has received regarding the logos.
• She said the tagline also needs to be approved.
• Pat asked if the abbreviation should be CTEA for branding purposes.
• Jill thinks it should be without the A for academy.
• Pat says he thinks the A would help define the brand.
• Jill says she is open the change the fonts. She thanks the group for sharing their comments.
• Jill likes logo design number four.
• Jill then askes Wil and Ken to update the committee on whatever webpages have been created. Ken replied that no webpages have been created yet pending more direction and details from Jason and the new CTE hires.
• Ken then asks Chris the status of the new hires. Chris updated the committee that the interviews have taken place and that offers have been made.
• Ken then asks if there is an expectation that webpages be made before the new hires come on board and he said no. That perhaps by May 1 would be a good timeline. He goes on to explain that the webpages should be ready when the press release regarding the new hires is sent out.
• Pat asks Chris if the target audience for the marketing would be high school juniors and seniors and he said yes.
• Jill remarks that anyone can attend the CTE Academy. Chris said yes, that is true, but the focus will be on high school graduating seniors. Chris said it is a collaboration between CVCC and the public schools.
• Ken asks if Jason will talk about the CTE Academy at the Open House.
• Michele tells Ken that Jason is already on the Open House agenda.
• Jill then asks what is needed for the webpage? She then asks about how the pages would be formatted. She said she would like to have a sample webpage for the next meeting.
• Jill asks how the centers are feeling about the CTE Academy. Pat responds that the school districts are aware of it and they are waiting for more information.
• Ken asks about financial aid. Chris said it will model what students have access to now. He adds there are also government subsidies that will help cover tuition for the “in-demand” jobs.
• Jill says we need to promote that aid.
• Pat says one of the issues the career coaches have is how to reach the kids specifically. He says people are not as responsive compared to pre-pandemic.
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• Jill suggests sending something to student’s home. Pat remarks that the school can send out email blasts.
• Michele adds that she has previously provided flyers to the high schools and then the schools sent out the information to the students.
• Jill says the next meeting will focus on finalizing the CTE materials. She asks the group to think about how to reach the kids.
• Michele adds we need to reach the parents, too.
• Ken asks Chris about money for paid advertising. Chris says there is no state money available for paid advertising, except for perhaps G3 initiatives regarding in-demand job training.
• Jill says to think of some ideas.
• Hailey asks if there is a way to piggyback CVCC CTE information on something that parents are already getting from the schools, like a graduation application.
• Pat says there is a newsletter in Bedford that the schools send out.
• Michele says she will check what other communications might be available from the public schools.
• Chris adds that the principals send out emails to the households and that we should try and get a mention of the CTE Academy in something in that.
• Chris says that Dr. Mickles can send something out to all the superintendents.
• Pat adds that perhaps someone could contact the CTE liaisons at the high schools.
• Chris adds that a lot of this will come together when the new CTE positions are hired.
• Jill then adjourns the meeting.

Submitted By:Ken Bunch