Steve Bolze, president and CEO of GE Power, was at Schenectady High School on Thursday, June 1, to announce GE's plan to invest and bring the GE Brilliant Career Lab to the Schenectady City School District. The interactive, mobile technology lab, filled with equipment and programming tools, will provide hands-on and virtual experiences for students to explore technical career options and learn digital technologies.
Congressman Paul Tonko Senator Jim Tedisco, Assemblyman Phil Steck, Mayor Gary McCarthy, Schenectady County Legislator Gary Hughes, School Board President Cathy Lewis, school and community leaders, staff and students were on hand for the announcement.
Developed by the GE Foundation and the MIT Fab Foundation, the GE Brilliant Career Lab is a first-of-its-kind interactive mobile technology lab designed to prepare students for the innovative digital industrial jobs of the future. The lab provides access to skills training in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) by offering education and design with high-tech equipment and programming tools. The program also includes a website which provides tools and experiences to help students identify potential career paths based on their interests and skills. The GE Brilliant Career Lab will launch in the Schenectady City School District in the fall.
“GE is focused on forward-looking, innovative technologies and through the Brilliant Career Lab we will advance students’ understanding and ability to pursue STEM careers,” said Steve Bolze, president and CEO, GE Power. “It’s critical we invest in future generations to help feed the pipeline for skilled workers.”
The GE Brilliant Career Lab offers both physical and virtual components so that students have access to a unique, hands-on experiences with advanced manufacturing technology, and online tools to assist them with career planning and preparation. Through the mobile lab, students will become familiar with new technologies, such as 3-D printers, laser cutters, milling machines, and programming tools. They will be able to work on projects to help them understand the uses and features of the equipment.
The Brilliant Career Labs website, www.brilliantcareerlabs.org, houses career assessments that identify potential careers paths for each student and interactive activities that teach students about specific opportunities based on their interests and skills. GE will also provide curriculum and professional development opportunities to STEM teachers and administrators in the district to help prepare students for tomorrow’s workforce.
“The Brilliant Career Labs opens a door for Schenectady students by providing a new – and engaging - level of technology and skills-preparedness training,” said Larry Spring, superintendent of the Schenectady City Schools. “We are proud to be working with the GE to bring valuable, educational tools to students that will help prepare them to enter the workforce.”
The announcement comes as part of GE’s celebration of its 125th anniversary and long history of partnership with the Schenectady City School District.
Check out the video here.