Nearly two dozen businesses, unions and governmental agencies took part in a Careers in Construction Month celebration on Oct. 8 at the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center, recruiting the next generation of skilled workers while highlighting all of the opportunities that exist in the trades.
Students met potential employers, took part in demonstrations and learned about the various careers that exist in the construction industry, as BOCES brought a local flare to the national construction industry celebration.
“I love it. We are getting a lot of opportunities to see what is out there and what’s the best path to accomplish my goal,” said Antonio Crisci, a Building Trades student from Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
Network Technology student Saadiq Jefferson said the event was a great opportunity for him and his classmates.
“It’s a really good experience. I am learning what is out there and getting my name out there with potential employers,” the Schenectady teen said.
Many of the organizations on hand brought BOCES graduates with them to highlight for the current students how a CTE education can propel them to professional success. Among those graduates on hand was Jarand (J.J.) Jackson, a 2024 graduate of the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) program.
“It’s nice to come back and give advice to current students. It was a little weird at first, but it’s really nice to see all of the opportunities BOCES gives you,” said Jackson, who works for Crisafulli Brothers Home Services.
“BOCES taught me a lot about the industry and it made me very aware of what is out there. I was able to make a lot of important connections (in the industry) when I was here,” the Heatly High School graduate said.
Twenty-one business, education and labor partners attended the event on the CTE Albany Campus, including Appolo Heating; BBL Construction Services; Callanan Industries; Carver Companies; Crisafulli Brothers; In-Serv Welding; Robert H. Finke & Sons, Inc.; Laborers’ Local 190; LeChase Construction Services, LLC; Local 7 Plumber & Steamfitters; Milton CAT; National Grid; North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Local 291; New York State Department of Transportation; STS Steel, Inc.; SUNY Cobleskill; TCI of NY, Inc. and Tri-City JATC.
Many of the partners said the skilled-worker shortage makes it critical for them to work with students to expand the pipeline of skilled workers into the regional, state and national workforce.
“BOCES in my opinion is one of the best in preparing students for the careers out there,” said James Alvin Gamble, a senior mechanic for National Grid.
Joseph Johnson of Laborers’ Local 190 said the demand is there for students with the ability to work in the trades.
“We have 900 members in our union, and every single one of them is working right now,” he said. “I love coming out here and meeting these kids and showing them all that exists.”
Capital Region BOCES Managing Program Coordinator-Business & Community Partnerships Nancy Liddle said the event served its purpose of “inspiring students to think about all the possibilities that exist for their future.”
Enrollment in the eight construction-related programs provided by Capital Region BOCES continues to rise with more than 400 high school students—about 25% of the overall CTE student body—attending one of the programs. BOCES offers a total of 29 programs, ranging from Welding and Metal Fabrication to Game Design and Implementation, on its Albany and Schoharie campuses, as well as off-campus sites such as St. Peter’s Hospital. 