A Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education student who is already forging a career in welding is the recipient of the Evan M. Schwarz Helping Hand Memorial Scholarship.
The $500 award was presented on May 28 to Watervliet Junior-Senior High School student LaJay York by the Schwarz family, teacher Don Mattoon and Career & Technical Education Center administrators.
York was hired by the Albany Department of General Services as a high school junior and continues to work for the city, welding and performing other tasks. She plans to not only work but also attend Hudson Valley Community College in the fall to expand her welding knowledge with a goal of being a welding inspector and/or instructor.
York said her interest in welding was sparked at an early age when working with her father.
“I went with my dad, and we would do home repair and construction stuff like that. As soon as I saw someone working with an oxygen-acetylene torch, my interest was sparked,” she explained.
Mattoon praised the scholar as a leader and role model.
“LaJay is an excellent student who has led the way for young women interested in careers in the trades,” Mattoon said.
The Evan M. Schwarz award was established in 2011 to honor Evan Schwarz, who studied welding at Capital Region BOCES while a Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School junior and senior, earned straight A’s and has been described by his former teacher Mike Todd as “highly motivated, artistic and caring — just the type of student you’d want to have in your classroom.” After graduation in 2006, Evan worked at the former Super Steel plant in
Schenectady and earned membership in the ironworker’s union.
Evan Schwarz’s parents, John and Donna Marie Schwarz, present the award twice annually.
“We let the teachers and the students’ peers make the selection. Every year, they pick a wonderful selection, and this year is no exception,” said John Schwarz.
Through the Capital Region BOCES Welding and Metal Fabrication high school and adult education programs, students such as York are prepared to enter the workforce or go on for more advanced training at specialized technical schools or colleges. Students learn skills ranging from plasma arc cutting to shielded metal arc welding and earn a host of industry certifications.
For students who complete the program, the payoff can be rich. Demand for skilled workers is high in the industry, according to the American Welding Society, which is projecting a need for 90,000 new welders each year through 2027. The society also reports that of the 770,000 estimated workers in the industry, 155,000 are approaching retirement age, meaning many more vacancies will occur soon.