Airline Officials Detail How BOCES education Can Help Students Futures Take Flight

SCHOHARIE -- More than two dozen Capital Region BOCES students met recently with recruiters and managers from Piedmont Airlines who were in search of mechanics and other skilled trades workers.

The Piedmont officials detailed career opportunities as well as how they offer tuition reimbursement for students seeking to attend college for aviation mechanics and who are willing to work for them.

Through the program, BOCES graduates receive a free college education at one of Piedmont’s partner schools where they learn how to be airline maintenance technicians. They also received more than $6,000 in tools and a job upon completion of college.

“We are trying to solve an industry-wide problem of needing skilled workers. We also have a high percentage of workers 60 and over and want to address the need to find new workers before it becomes a more significant issue,” said Dezron Wilson, an Albany-based representative for the airline.

Several recent Capital Region BOCES graduates have watched their careers take flight though the program, including Capital Region BOCES class of 2023 graduates John Little and John Brown, both of whom attended BOCES from Scotia-Glenville High School, and class of 2022 graduates Alfred Fox, who attended BOCES from Niskayuna.

Capital Region BOCES works with more than 300 business, union and education partners—like Piedmont—to help fuel the regional and state economies. Through these partnerships, students are able to launch careers directly out of high school or land jobs that will help them pay for future educational opportunities.

Many of these partners will take place in several career fairs BOCES will host later this school year.

For information on how to become a business, contact Capital Region BOCES Managing Program Coordinator-Business & Community Partnerships Nancy Liddle at 518-862-4823 or nancy.liddle@neric.org.