W’Burg board approves IT apprenticeship program

Two incoming juniors at Williamsburg Independent School will have the opportunity to work alongside the district’s chief information officer to learn about information technology, receive a small pay check, and certification.

The Williamsburg Independent Board of Education unanimously approved an agreement between Dataseam and the district to employ and train students in information technology during its meeting on April 20.

Williamsburg Superintendent Tim Melton said that students would begin in the fall working and completing coursework. The work would continue through the summer into the spring of the students’ senior year.

The district’s plan is to hire the students in the summer, so that they could complete some training before the apprenticeship would officially begin in the fall.

Throughout the school days, students would have work scheduled around their classes as well as coursework for the apprenticeship set up through Dataseam.

Parker Smith, the Chief Information Officer for Williamsburg Independent School District, told board members during the meeting that the apprenticeship program would cost the district approximately $10,000 per student for the two years, but in return, Dataseam will give the district $20,000 worth of computers.

Smith would be overseeing the students and would be working alongside them during assessments.

The program is a pilot program for the school with two other schools having completed the pilot program prior to the pandemic. Whitley County High School and a school in Tennessee were the other two programs.

“We have been waiting for this to kind of come through,” said Melton.

Melton said students can apply for the positions through Dataseam.