February is Career and Technical Education Month — a time when school districts across the nation celebrate programs designed to prepare students for the workforce or to further their education.
Once an education path for those students only seeking vocational skills, career and technical education is now a pathway for students looking to build career skills, get a start on their college education or just learn a life skill that will allow them to pay for college. At the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical School, more than 70% of high school students pursue higher education, while many others directly enter the workforce with a highly technical skill set.
Duanesburg Cosmetology program senior Genna Rickert is planning to attend college in the fall to bolster her knowledge and future plans.
“I plan to get my business degree and stay in the cosmetology industry because it gives you a creative outlet. I hope to one day open my own salon,” the Schoharie Campus student said.
Guilderland Electrical Trades senior Alex Huber Sifka plans to go to college and work in the industry upon CTE graduation this June.
“I want to go to a private company for a bit after BOCES and then Hudson Valley Community College for lineman school,” he said. “BOCES has helped me a lot. I knew how electricity works and how it gets from one place to another, but at BOCES, I learned the calculations and background stuff and technical stuff you really need to know to be good in this industry.”
Davian Proctor is hoping to go straight into the workforce.
The Heavy Equipment Repair and Operation (HERO) student from Schoharie, said CTE is allowing him to launch a career without accruing college debt.
“When I came to BOCES, I knew nothing about heavy equipment. Now, I can operate a backhoe, pay loader, dump truck, skid steer, everything,” Proctor said.
He hopes to join a union when he graduates but does have a backup plan of pursuing a college degree in high performance automobile repair.
Multiple opportunities to build careers
Capital Region BOCES offers 29 programs that prepare students for specific careers but also give students such skills as communications, interviewing and time management that span the spectrum of careers.
Those programs are guided by input received from the business community. These professionals serve on nearly two dozen advisory panels that meet periodically at BOCES and guide the curriculum and planning, as well as provide work-based learning opportunities for students.
A key example of the BOCES-business partnership is the New Visions: Emerging Technologies program and the Plumbing Technology program, both of which were launched this school year at the request of—and with the guidance of—business partners.
“This partnership will offer students advanced training in chips R&D and trailblazing technologies, establishing a direct pathway to in-demand engineering careers,” said Dr. Robert Geer, NY CREATES Vice President for Education and Workforce Development. NY CREATES guided the creation of the Emerging Technologies program.
Plumbing union officials said BOCES was a natural choice to partner with.
“BOCES is a valuable partner for us. They provide us with students who are interested in the trades, who want to learn and work and who have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of the trades,” said Scott Nadeau, a UA Local 7 Organizer.
“There’s a large demand among business leaders across the region and state to place an emphasis on college- and career-readiness,” said Jeff Palmer, Director of Career and Technical Education at BOCES. “The programs we offer include everything from culinary and welding to electrical trades, auto body repair and internet application design. But they also prepare students with life skills that apply to whatever career a student pursues.”
BOCES officials receive calls daily from employers looking to recruit students and graduates because of the extremely small skilled labor pool of potential employees.
“We literally cannot keep up with the demand for workers,” said James Haas, work-based learning coordinator for Capital Region BOCES.
More than 1,500 students from throughout the Capital Region take courses at the Capital Region BOCES campuses in Schoharie and Albany. Nationally, more than 15 million high school and postsecondary students are pursuing career and technical education, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
By choosing an education that includes career and technical training, those students are getting an education that is critical to their personal success, as well as the success of this region and the country.