The Event
Thursday, October 9, marks the launching of Tech Tour '08, a local event to introduce 300 area high school students to the dynamic high technology world that exists in the Charlottesville/Albemarle County metro region.
Sponsored by the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council, this day-long technology tour is aimed at exposing students to the challenging and diverse career possibilities offered by our regional technology community. It is designed to help them envision themselves as technology employees, professionals and entrepreneurs in the next wave of high tech advancements in our area.
Students representing 12 regional schools will spend the day traveling to 40 selected companies for a hands-on visit to meet employees and experience the use of technology in unique and specialized operations. Students will travel with classmates in groups of 12-15, and be assigned to one of 20 unique and exciting tour schedules.
When: Thursday, October 9, 2008 from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Where: Piedmont Virginia Community College Dickinson Building and regional technology companies
Who: Approximately 300 high school students and 50 technology companies are scheduled to participate.
Purpose
The Tech Tour provides students with:
- Exposure to the world of technology and work places
- Personal engagement with real entrepreneurial success stories
- Encouragement to study technology and related fields of interest
- Information about what it takes to prepare for a technology career
- Education about real job opportunities with local technology employers
For the companies:
- Helping students envision themselves as future technology employees or technology entrepreneurs
- Showcasing their unique products and presence in the community
Opportunities to Participate in Tech Tour
Would you like CBIC to put your technology company on the Tech Tour map?
Showcase your company as a tour venue. Do you have a facility to showcase or hands-on technology to demonstrate at your site? Great! Why not add your company location as a Tech Tour venue?
As a Tech Tour venue, you would lead an interactive session (approximately 45 minutes to one hour) designed to engage the students and get them excited about a possible career in a technology-related field. Tour sessions typically include:
- A tour of your facility and a hands-on demonstration of your technology product or service
- An overview of the work skills and job profiles employed at your company
- A discussion of a particular challenge your company has faced and how technology may have helped to overcome it
- Tips and advice on career paths related to your company
- A review of job opportunities—internships, part-time positions, full-time positions—for which Tech Tour students can apply
Share your technology career as a presenter at a tour hub. Do you have a technology product or service to highlight, but lack space to accommodate a tour? You’re not alone, and we’re working to arrange central locations—tour hubs— where innovators like you can show your stuff. Do you have a technology career story to share with aspiring technology professionals? The students would love to hear it.
As a Tech Tour presenter, you would lead your interactive session at one of the tour hub presentation spaces. Similar to the Tech Tour venues, presenter sessions typically include:
- A presentation of your technology product or service
- An overview of the work skills and job profiles employed at your company
- A discussion of a particular challenge your company has faced and how technology may have helped to overcome it
- Tips and advice on career paths related to your company
- A review of job opportunities—internships, part-time positions, full-time positions—for which Tech Tour students can apply
Contact
Chris Engel
Tech Tour Chair
434-970-3111
engel@charlottesville.org