Students learning a skilled trade find that being treated as professionals makes learning easier.
Whether preparing surgical carts at Albany Medical Center, teaching pre-kindergarten students at the YMCA or repairing large truck engines under a tight deadline, high school juniors and seniors are taught not just the technical skills necessary to succeed, but the professional skills required in the workplace. Those include how to act professionally, how to handle multiple requests on the job, how to communicate with adults, etc.
“We are treated like adults at BOCES. We are in charge of our learning, and we are expected to do what it takes to succeed,” said Ruby Terrell, a Welding and Metal Fabrication senior from Berne-Knox-Westerlo.
Whether in the classroom, lab or out on work-based learning, students learn how to function in a workplace and how to carry themselves.
“It’s interesting and informative to see how the medical field works and how interesting it is to look at other people’s work and to deal with real situations,” said Khawaja Ahmed Waqas, a Sterile Processing Technician student from Shenendehowa.
Waqas and his classmates are taking part in work-based learning at Albany Medical Center, working side by side with professionals in preparing medical equipment for use in operating rooms.
Makayli Hurd, a Culinary Arts senior from Watervliet, credits BOCES with giving her the skills necessary to attend the Culinary Institute of America in the fall and eventually become a chef.
“BOCES has helped with my learning, time management, work ethic, communication and knowledge of cooking,” she said.
River Adams, a Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers student from Niskayuna, said BOCES has made her excited to be a nurse.
“I like the hands-on work we do and how we are treated like adults,” she said.
“It makes it easier to commit to memory and helps to ensure you are doing the skills properly.”
For Dayna Spizowski, an Early Childhood Education student from Cohoes, being treated as a professional has enhanced her learning and solidified her desire to be a teacher.
“The real experience with lesson plans and actual teaching has made me confident in what I want to do,” said the Cohoes student.
For fellow Cohoes student Ivan Bittner, the professional atmosphere has made a world of difference.
“[New Technology Teacher Ed] Henson teaches us real life stuff. How to act. How to carry ourselves. How to succeed, that’s why I love learning at BOCES,” he said.