2.11.10

 

Two representatives of Global Foundries toured Tech Valley High School on Wednesday, interacting with students and seeing what the innovative school is all about.

Emily Reilly and Mike Russo, who were joined by TVHS Business Alliance Co-Chair Amy Johnson, who organized the meeting, and Dale Thuillez, Vice President of the Tech Valley School Foundation and foundation trustee Eileen Lindburg, spent more than two hours at the regional public high school.

After meeting with Principal Dan Liebert, Juniors Kaeli Jerome, Chelsea Schadewald and Jesse Feinman led the executives  on a tour of the school and provided an opportunity for the visitors to interact with the students. Faculty members Stacia Snow and Jason Irwin joined the students and visitors at the end of the tour for a robust discussion about the future workforce needs of Tech Valley.

Reilly, human resources senior manager at Global Foundries, told the students that the 21st century skills they were being assessed on are the same ones that are used to review workers at Global Foundries and are the basis for determining compensation and bonus at the company.

Russo, director of government relations at Global Foundries, told the students that they are pioneers – that the skills they are learning are those that President Obama and his administration recognize are needed for transforming education and the workforce to make the United States more competitive globally. He praised the students’ study of Mandarin  Chinese and talked about the importance of being aware of and sensitive to diverse cultures and languages in a global economy.

Both Reilly and  Russo said that they don’t need students taking more high tech courses, but rather they need students prepared to enter the workforce with the 21st century skills that are being taught and assessed at Tech Valley High.