Classrooms to Careers: CTE wing opens new doors for Taylor ISD students

Before the first concrete was poured at Samsung Austin Semiconductor’s new site in Taylor, the foundation for student success was being laid just down the road. In November of 2023, Samsung Austin Semiconductor donated $1 million to support the expansion of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at Taylor High School.

 On Thursday, June 12, Taylor Independent School District (ISD) and community leaders joined representatives from Samsung Austin Semiconductor for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the new CTE wing of Taylor High School—complete with classrooms, full labs and an expanded automotive garage, agriculture science space and culinary kitchens—marking a milestone in the partnership between Samsung Austin Semiconductor and Taylor ISD.

 “Your support and this bond has allowed us to not only create this space, but put all the equipment in this space for our kids to use their hands, think creatively, and help prepare our students for jobs in the growing semiconductor in our own backyard,” said superintendent Dr. Jennifer Garcia-Edwardsen in regards to Samsung Austin Semiconductor.

Samsung Austin Semiconductor leaders, including corporate executive vice president Jeffrey Go and executive vice president Jon Taylor, emphasized the company’s long-term commitment to workforce development and education in the Taylor community.

“We are thrilled to be supporting the Taylor school district to help expand career opportunities in technical fields, especially advanced manufacturing, to the students of today and tomorrow of Taylor,” said Taylor. “We’re proud of our collaboration with this community and hope that our presence in Taylor will provide opportunities for our scholars to find great employment right in their hometown.”

For students, the investment means more than just shiny new spaces. It means options. They’ll now have the chance to earn dual credit and career certification in fields ranging from welding to floral design, setting them up to either continue their education after graduation or enter the workforce directly. These pathways can help make the transition from school to the workforce a little easier, since students can find everything they need—from the classroom to the start of their careers—all in one place.

As former athletic director of Taylor ISD and current Taylor City Councilmember Shelli Cobb put it, “We are opening the doors to new opportunities, greater potential and a stronger future for our students.”

For example, students in the engineering and robotics departments can advance their knowledge and practice of skills related to semiconductors in the new, larger workshop spaces for the Electronics Technology and Welding programs.

“Through CTE, I hope that young students will become interested in the semiconductor industry at a very early age, understand what the facilities being built across the street doand finally many of them will build their careers there,” said Go.

Students will be able to receive hands-on learning using new tools and equipment such as centrifugal pump training machines, 3D printers, robotics, programmable logic controllers, CNC machines, AC/DC training equipment and more.

“I think it’s amazing that the first person to answer the call was Samsung,” Williamson County Commissioner Russ Boles said. “They have done everything they said they would do and more.”

When the new school year starts in August, Taylor High School students will study, and potentially graduate with certifications, in a variety of CTE programs such as Automotive, Welding, Culinary Arts, Agriculture Science, Floral Design and Health Science.

“The true payoff of this bond isn’t found in concrete, chrome, or classroom paint. It’s found in the students who will walk through these doors inspired, equipped, and supported. Our investment today shapes the leaders of tomorrow,” Cobb said.

This article was written by Samsung Austin Semiconductor intern Grace Philhower.