Mac Beaton & Beverly Cocke | Dispelling Misconceptions About Work After High School

April 12, 2023

Today, we have two esteemed guests from Henrico County Public Schools – Mac Beaton and Beverly Cocke, who will share their progressive approach to workforce development and how they are breaking down outdated misconceptions to create opportunities for students.

Mac Beaton, the Director of Career and Technical Education for Henrico County Public Schools, has spent the last 37 years in the education sector. He started as an apprentice electrician at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, but with his Bachelor of Science degree from Va. Tech and his Masters in Administration and Supervision for Virginia Commonwealth University, he moved on to teaching, serving as an Education Specialist, and eventually becoming the director for the past 23 years.

Mac has been recognized for his progressive approach to workforce development and most recently for the “The CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day,” which recognizes students leaving high school and entering the workforce, much like the signing day for athletes. He also led a project where students renovated 48,000 sq. ft. of an indoor mall to create an innovative learning environment for adult students, providing them with a location to “Shop for their future!” Join us as Mac shares his insights on how we can create a more innovative and progressive approach to education.

We also have Beverly Cocke, the Workforce and Career Development Specialist for Henrico County Public Schools. She has been connecting business partners and career and technical education programming for two decades, breaking down outdated misconceptions and building bridges with businesses and community partners to create opportunities for internships, job shadowing, career exploration, and employment for students. Beverly received her Bachelor of Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University and her Master of Education from University of Richmond.

We hope you enjoy this episode, where we discuss ways to create a more progressive and innovative approach to education and workforce development. Remember, students may only be 20%-25% of our population today, but they are 100% of our future.