Nearly 90 counselors from most area school districts heard about the latest changes and updates to career and technical education (CTE) programming during a meeting Thursday at the Capital Region BOCES and Technical Education Center – Albany Campus.
Noting that enrollment has skyrocketed and this year’s waiting list exceeded 200 students, Career and Technical Education Director Jeff Palmer said expansion is on the horizon for CTE with new programs being brought to the Schoharie Campus for the 2024-25 school year and a new building being constructed in Albany in time for the 2025-26 school year.
“It’s a very exciting time,” he said. “Both our students, our future students and their parents, and our business partners want the training we are offering.”
Starting in September, students will be able to take the Welding and Metal Fabrication program on the Schoharie Campus, Palmer said. One of the most popular Career & Technical Education programs offered, it is currently only available to students on the Career & Technical Education Center – Albany Campus.
Additionally in September, students returning to the Schoharie Campus will notice renovations and upgrades to the Automotive Trades Technology, Cosmetology and Culinary Arts and Hospitality Technology classrooms. And, Palmer said, BOCES is offering in partnership with the Schoharie Central School District in September, an Early Childhood Education program in the Schoharie School District. Open to all area schools, the new class represents the expansion of the program currently only offered on the Albany Campus.
The next wave of additions to the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center will take place in time for the 2025-26 school year, Palmer told counselors. That will bring the opening of the Albany CTE Extension Center, located on Watervliet-Shaker Road near the BOCES Administrative Offices.
That building, he said, will house the expansion of the Heavy Equipment Operation, Maintenance & Repair program, which is currently only offered on the Schoharie Campus, as well as the creation of a plumbing program. The CTE Extension Center will also house additional Electrical Trades, Building Trades, Cosmetology, Manufacturing and Machining Technology and Digital Media Design program space.
The area counselors also heard on Thursday from guest speakers, such as Penny Vavura from The Port of Albany and JeanMarie Reinke of the Workforce Development Institute, who spoke of the growing demand for skilled workers and the impact of societal change to renewable energy sources.
“There’s a lot of opportunity and we want to partner with you to help this generation of scholars find fulfilling jobs right here in the region,” Vavura said.
Expanded wharfs and manufacturing capabilities to accommodate the state government’s focus on renewable energy, specifically offshore wind turbines, is putting a charge in job growth, she said.
The wharf and manufacturing projects alone, she said, will necessitate the addition of 500 construction jobs and another 500 manufacturing jobs at the port.
“The old maritime axiom applies – a rising tide raises all boats – and we are a rising tide with all of the great expansions taking place,” she said.
With the conclusion of the annual counselors meeting, recruiting for the 2024-25 school year at Capital Region BOCES is underway.
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 & Technical Education Center, more than 70% of high school students pursue higher education, while the remainder directly enter the workforce with a highly technical skill set.
For more information on career and technical education programs, go to https://www.capitalregionboces.org/career-technical-education/courses-programs/