Teacher Industry Day Continues 30-Year Tradition of Connecting Educators with Local Industries

Teachers from Sullivan County Schools, Bristol Tennessee City Schools (BTCS), and Bristol Virginia Public Schools participated in Teacher Industry Day, alongside representatives from more than 25 local industries. The full-day event began with breakfast prepared by King University’s Metz Culinary Management, followed by welcome remarks from Dr. Donna Watson, Dean of Education at King University; Clayton Dowell, BTES CEO; Dr. Amy Scott, Secondary Curriculum & Instruction Supervisor at BTCS; Chuck Carter, Director of Sullivan County Schools; and Chelsea Rose, Senior Director of Postsecondary and Workforce Strategy at the Tennessee Department of Education.

“BTES is pleased to continue to partner with TVA in hosting another Teacher Industry Day,” said Dowell. “Teacher Industry Day has been a springboard for other workforce development initiatives, such as work-based learning. Workforce development is important to all and we are proud to have representatives from three local school systems and a variety of industry sectors represented.”

For more than 30 years, Teacher Industry Day has helped bridge the gap between classroom learning and the career opportunities available throughout our community.

“Teacher Industry Day and other similar exposure events are a fantastic opportunity to learn, network, and gather takeaways about businesses and industries that our teachers may or may not know about,” said Carter. “Our teachers need a strong understanding of what is needed in the workplace and how we can better prepare our students for careers in our community and region. I could only guess how many times a teacher has commented that they gained valuable instructional strategies through their Industry Day experiences.” 

By connecting educators with local workplaces, this program showcases the diverse industries that help drive our region’s economy and create opportunities for our area.

“Teacher Industry Day is an event we look forward to each year because it gives our educators a valuable opportunity to step outside the classroom and see firsthand the businesses and industries that help our community thrive,” said Tudor. “We are fortunate to have such strong support from our local business community, and we are grateful to the partners who welcome our teachers into their workplaces. These experiences not only strengthen our community relationships but also help our teachers make meaningful connections between what students learn in school and the opportunities available to them right here in our region.”

Participating industries for this year’s event include AY McDonald, Ballad Heath, Bell Helicopter, Bristol Tennessee Essential Services, Bristol Tennessee Fire Department, Bristol Tennessee Police Department, BurWil Construction, City of Bristol Tennessee, Great Clips, H Johnson Pharmacy, Holston Realty, Integrated Health, J.A. Street & Associates, Mattern & Craig Engineering, Microporous Manufacturing, Seaman Corporation, Tri-City Extrusion, Turtleson, TVA, United Southeast Federal Credit Union, Wallace Collision Center, and Westlake Royal Building Products.  

BTES and the Tennessee Valley Authority have sponsored the event since its inception.