GO TEC labs coming to HVMS and WBMS
Updated
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), in partnership with Roanoke County Public Schools have announced the launch of Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC®) Career Connections Labs in two middle schools in Roanoke County.
Hidden Valley Middle School (HVMS) and William Byrd Middle School (WBMS) join four other middle schools in the New River Valley that are installing new GO TEC labs thanks to nearly $1 million in GO Virginia funding and over $500,000 in matching support from local and regional sources. Each of these labs are scheduled to be operational by the end of 2025. Roanoke County is part of GO Virginia Region 2.
“Expanding GO TEC into six additional Region 2 middle schools means thousands more students will gain early exposure to high-demand career fields. These labs give students hands-on experience with technologies that are shaping the future of work in Virginia. We’re excited to continue building momentum and reaching new communities,” said Angela Brown, GO TEC Director.
GO TEC Career Connections Labs are designed to spark student interest in middle school by connecting classroom experiences directly to high-demand, high-wage career fields. The program introduces students to more than a dozen technology and engineering pathways, including Automation & Robotics, Precision Machining, Healthcare Technologies, IT Coding & Networking, Metrology, and Welding.
These labs are standardized across the Commonwealth, ensuring that all students receive hands-on, industry-relevant training that builds awareness of in-demand careers.
“We are thrilled that HVMS and WBMS are the first two middle schools in Roanoke County to add these labs. Our goal is for all our middle schools to eventually have a GO TEC lab in the coming years,” said Dr. Ken Nicely, superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools.
“With these labs, our middle school students can begin discovering their passions early - exploring different career paths, identifying what excites them, and then growing those interests through our outstanding career and technical education programs,” Dr. Nicely said.
The GO TEC program began as a pilot in Danville and Pittsylvania County in 2018. Today, the initiative is scaling across Virginia, with 76 schools projected to host labs during the 2025–26 academic year, reaching over 11,000 middle school students annually.