Community leaders, business partners, educators, and workforce experts gathered in the C.L. Overturf Auditorium on November 18 for the first-ever Putnam County Workforce Summit, hosted by the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce. The event marked a major milestone for collaboration in workforce development and highlighted the innovative work happening across the Putnam County School District (PCSD) to prepare students for high-demand careers.
Superintendent Dr. Rick Surrency and Renee Hough, PCSD’s Director of Career & Technical Education, spoke to attendees about the intentional expansion of the district’s Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs and the critical role these pathways play in shaping the region’s future workforce.
Hough shared how the district approaches CTE with one overarching question: “What does our community need?”
From there, PCSD partnered with local businesses, industry professionals, and educators to identify real job demands, develop new programs, secure funding, and hire passionate instructors. She emphasized that CTE is not a niche track, it's a system built to ensure every student, whether college-bound or career-ready, has access to meaningful, high-quality pathways.
“CTE bridges the gap for students who may not be exposed to the full range of careers available in rural communities,” Hough explained. “These programs give students the skills, certifications, and hands-on learning experiences they need to enter the workforce or continue their education and they strengthen our local economy by keeping skilled workers right here in Putnam County.”
Hough’s presentation showcased the district’s rapidly growing list of programs including: agriculture, business, advanced manufacturing, health science, computer science, aerospace technology, construction, welding, culinary arts, engineering, automotive, criminal justice, and more.
Students across PCSD earned hundreds of industry certifications this year alone, from welding and agriculture to ServSafe, OSHA-10, business, and healthcare credentials.
“Our goal is simple,” Hough said, “PCSD students prepared to work for YOU.”
Superintendent Surrency followed with a powerful message about the district’s ongoing commitment to preparing students not just to graduate, but to thrive in life after high school.
“At PCSD, our belief is that the students we are educating today will define who we are as a community in the future,” Surrency said. “We shape the future of our community by preparing all students for success in college, career, and life.”
He emphasized that collaboration with business and industry has been a driving force in PCSD’s improvement over the past decade. In 2016, feedback from the local business community led to major changes in the district’s approach to graduation readiness, employability skills, and workforce preparation—a shift that has resulted in stronger programs, higher performance, and more opportunities for students.
“Whenever we open doors for our students, they walk through them,” Surrency said. “When they achieve at high levels, we say we are Proud to be PCSD.”
Surrency also highlighted the district’s school revitalization efforts, which include the ongoing construction of five modernized campuses designed with industry-inspired learning spaces, advanced technology, and expanded CTE capabilities.
“These schools aren’t just buildings—they’re training grounds for tomorrow’s workforce,” he added.
The Summit brought together several major partners in the Northeast Florida workforce landscape, including:
JAXUSA Partnership, sharing regional industry and labor market insights
CareerSource Northeast Florida, presenting employment and training resources
Goodwill of Northeast Florida, highlighting skill-building supports
St. Johns River State College, showcasing local career and technical pathways
Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, outlining the work of the Workforce Task Force
The Chamber’s Workforce Task Force has spent more than a year compiling data on job trends and workforce gaps, which now guides the development of CTE programs and talent pipelines throughout PCSD. The Summit reinforced that building a strong local workforce requires meaningful collaboration across schools, businesses, industry partners, and community organizations.
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