A Watervliet teen is forging a bright future for herself at Capital Region BOCES.
LaJay York has not only learned a trade in the Welding and Metal Fabrication program at Capital Region BOCES but also has been hired to ply that trade professionally.
York said her interest in welding was sparked at a young age 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.
“I felt an immediate desire to learn as much as possible about working with metal,” said York.
York turned that passion into a career, being hired by the city of Albany as only a high school junior thanks to work-based learning provided by BOCES and her skills and motivation.
York is among a handful of female seniors in the Welding and Metal
Fabrication program who are preparing to work in an industry where women constitute between 5% and 6% of the workforce.
“The men are great, but we need some more women in the field. We bring a different perspective,” said York.
As to her future, York plans to attend Hudson Valley Community College in the fall to expand her welding knowledge.
“After that, I will continue to work for the city for three or four years and then I want to go to college and become a certified welding inspector and do that for a while,” she said. “Eventually, I want to teach welding to the next generation.”