A Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education student who is forging a career in welding is the recipient of the Evan M. Schwarz Helping Hand Memorial Scholarship.
The $500 award was presented on Dec. 18 to Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School senior Jacob Montalbano by the Schwarz family, teacher Don Mattoon and Career & Technical Education Center administrators.
Montalbano aspires to own a business or go into welding inspection, and he chose Capital Region BOCES to forge that career path.
“Either way, the best way to succeed in welding is to attend BOCES,” he said.
Teacher Don Mattoon praised the senior.
“He is a good student who works hard for what he wants. There is no doubt in my mind that he will succeed in whatever path he chooses,” 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.
School Counselor Cosimo Tangorra said Montalbano was honored as a “great example of success for future CTE students, as well as his peers.” 
Montalbano said attending BOCES has been a great opportunity for him to build skills and knowledge.
“I love the experience you get at BOCES,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun. Some of the work is challenging, but it’s great to figure it out and overcome it. Everyone in the program is great. The teachers are great. The equipment is great. There is nothing to not like at BOCES.”
His love of welding is a result of the “peace” he feels while working in the shop.
“There is something I find peaceful when my hood drops over my eyes. It’s almost like all of my problems that I am going through in life instantly fade away and it becomes super peaceful when I begin welding,” he said.
Montalbano said he will attend the Pennsylvania College of Technology and major in welding and metal fabrication and minor in business and non-destructive testing. The latter, he said, would afford him the opportunity to possibly work as a welding inspector.
Through the Capital Region BOCES Welding and Metal Fabrication high school and adult education programs, students such as Montalbano 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.