More than 60 members from the surrounding business community gathered at CCAM—many visiting our facility for the first time. We were especially honored to welcome the Prince George County Interim County Administrator and two members of the Prince George County Board of Supervisors, along with business leaders, school board representatives, and regional economic development partners.
A key highlight of the meeting was a tour of the GO TEC (Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers) Teacher Training Lab located on CCAM’s second floor. Today, Hopewell, Prince George, and other surrounding school districts operate GO TEC Career Connections Labs in their middle schools. These labs are supported locally through collaboration between CCAM and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), based in Danville, Virginia.
Since 2022, CCAM has helped organize state, federal, and private grant funding to establish these hands-on learning environments that introduce students to advanced manufacturing and technology careers. Courtney Massengill, the local IALR Training Coordinator, and Lorin Sodell from CCAM led the tour, providing an opportunity for local businesses and community leaders to explore how they can engage with STEM-related career pathways for young people in our region.
GO TEC represents one component of the broader talent development pipeline that CCAM supports—connecting industry, education, government, and economic development partners to strengthen the advanced manufacturing workforce. We look forward to expanding this ecosystem in the near future and deepening connections across our statewide network.
Photos by Southern Sharp Photography
