Area Schools Hear Plans for 2025-26 at BOCES

SCHOHARIE – Approximately 60 counselors from more than two dozen school districts visited the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center – Albany Campus on Thursday to hear what’s on tap for workforce development and career and technical education in the 2025-26 school year.

During a daylong event, counselors learned about the new Plumbing Technology and New Visions: Emerging Technologies programs being offered, as well as heard updates on the construction of the new Career and Technical Education Extension Center. Construction of the 46,377-square-foot CTE Extension Center began in September and is expected to be complete and ready to open in time for the 2025-26 school year.

Capital Region BOCES also rolled out its new video, “Your Future Starts Now” which is also available on the Capital Region BOCES YouTube channel - https://youtu.be/I6pRDAUcf4E?si=CxCWmhuxQUGYCAnB.

Counselors spent part of the day shadowing students in a myriad of programs, from Welding and Metal Fabrication to Digital Media Design. 

Representatives of some of Capital Region BOCES 300 business partners also spoke about the wide-ranging value of a career and technical education and how it fuels the regional, state and national economies.

Tom Carrigan, President and Marketing Director for UA Local 7, Plumbers and Steamfitters, and Capri O’Hara, of NY CREATES, said skilled workers are in demand.

“If you take a look at the 2023 outlook from Gov. Kathy Hochul, she addressed the housing shortage. She forecasts that 800,000 new homes and apartments are needed over the next decade. Currently, there are not enough workers to complete this task,” Carrigan said.

Held each December, the annual counselor meeting serves as the unofficial kick-off to the recruiting season for the Career and Technical Education center.

Director of Career and Technical Education Jeff Palmer reminded counselors that a CTE education is for everyone.

“CTE is for everybody. The CTE experience opens pathways for students, it doesn’t close any. You can be an honors student, attend CTE and then go on to a great college with fantastic skills,” he said, noting that graduates have gone on to such esteemed institutions as the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Culinary Institute of America. 

School district representatives said they understand the importance of CTE.

"I am a big advocate of CTE and the opportunities it affords. We have a lot of kids coming this year and we will have more kids next year," said Brian Spofford, Hall Principal of Shaker High School.

“It's great. The kids are immersed into their work and doing it with very limited interaction with their instructor,” added Middleburgh counselor Paul Pierce.

CTE Extension Center

Located across from the BOCES Administrative Offices on Watervliet-Shaker Road, the CTE Extension Center will house several programs, including the new Plumbing Technology and New Visions: Emerging Technology program. The center will also house the expansion of the Heavy Equipment Repair and Operation program, which is currently only offered on the Schoharie Campus.

Additionally, new Electrical Trades, Building Trades, Cosmetology, Manufacturing and Machining Technology and Digital Media Design program space will be in the facility.

The CTE Extension Center will mark the third expansion of the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center this decade.

New Programs

The new programs are being offered at the request of BOCES business and education partners.

“We are thrilled to once again be able to take the input of our business and education partners and create programming that will directly benefit not only future students, but strengthen the local, state and national workforce,” Palmer said.

The Plumbing Technology course will be a comprehensive, hands-on program designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in the plumbing industry. 

Students will learn essential skills, including safety protocols, plumbing math and blueprint reading, while working with various piping materials such as plastic and copper. 

The course covers key plumbing systems such as drain, waste, and vent (DWV) systems, water distribution, and much more. 

The New Visions: Emerging Technologies program will offer students a comprehensive introduction to two rapidly growing industries: hydrogen fuel cell technology and semiconductor manufacturing. 

Students will gain hands-on experience and theoretical knowledge in advanced manufacturing, mechanical and electrical systems, hydrogen safety and semiconductor processes. The program covers key topics such as fuel cell systems, pneumatics, automation, cleanroom protocols and troubleshooting techniques. 

For more information on Career and Technical Education programs, visit https://www.capitalregionboces.org/career-technical-education/courses-programs/.