Aspiring welder Preston Heidelmark heats up his future career outlook while completing an assignment during a Welding and Metal Fabrication program class recently on the Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education Center – Albany Campus.
In the attached photo, Heidelmark, a senior from Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School (BHBL), welds a plate in one of the dozens of booths provided to Capital Region BOCES career and technical education welding students.
Heidelmark plans to follow his father’s footsteps and enter the welding union when he graduates in June.
He credits Capital Region BOCES with teaching him all he needs to know to launch a career and build his knowledge.
“I like that I can do what I feel like and work with my hands and learn valuable skills at BOCES,” said Heidelmark. “It’s rewarding seeing the finished product and knowing I made it.”
Heidelmark is among approximately five dozen students enrolled this school year in the Capital Region BOCES Welding and Metal Fabrication program. Students in the two-year program learn American Welding Society standards and earn certifications that prepare them for a career in the welding industry. Located on the Albany Campus this school year, the program is being expanded to the Schoharie Campus for the start of the 2024-25 school year to address the increasing demand among students.
For more information on the Welding and Metal Fabrication program, go to https://www.capitalregionboces.org/career-technical-education/courses-programs/welding-metal-fabrication/.