“We’re having kids come out with skills that are relevant to not just today’s workforce but we’re educating kids and trying to give them skills for jobs that don’t even exist yet,” he adds, proof that Marion’s curriculum evolves as fast as the economy. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MISD bridges classroom learning with real-world opportunity through robust industry collaborations. The Seguin Economic Development Corporation connects students with major employers like Caterpillar, Niagara Bottling, and United Alloys.“Our kids do job shadowing, tours of facilities, and we meet with them on a regular basis,” says Dr. Bentzen. . “There’s a lot of different opportunities for students to see the skills they’re learning here and how they’re relevant in industries that are right here in our own backyard,” Reiley adds.These partnerships also offer internships, with some juniors landing paid roles while still in high school. The district prioritizes keeping talent local. “That’s going to be the best for the kids, it’s best for the industry, it’s best for our community to keep that locally educated student here in our community and be productive members of our community,” Reiley explains. “We go back to that a lot, we talk about community, but that’s a big thing too is that they have opportunities here, they don’t have to go off halfway around the world to be able to do that trade 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 MARION INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
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