BOCES Offering Cabling Tech Program

SCHOHARIE – High School students interested in a career with great job growth projection and median salary in the U.S. in excess of $60,000 need to look no further than the Capital Region BOCES Network Cabling Tech/Smart Home Technology program.

The program, in it’s second year of existence, will be housed at the Albany Career and Technical School campus starting with the 2021-22 school year after being located at the  Schoharie Campus.

“We have heard from prospective students and our component districts in the Albany area that they are interested in the Network Cabling program that they want to attend the program. At the same time we are constantly in contact with employers seeking workers for the industry. To maximize the potential of the program and to best meet the needs of our students, schools and even employers, we believe it is the right time to make this change,”  said Jeff Palmer, director of Career and Technical Education at Capital Region BOCES.

The Network Cabling Technician/Smart Home Technology provides a clear path to both a job in the industry or to further education.

“Our program prepares the workforce needed to build out and cable this new infrastructure. We have the right program in place and are actively looking for the students interested in these great careers,” said teacher Ed Henson, a 35-year veteran of Verizon.

The program works with business partners such as Verizon, National Grid and MIDTEL to teach students everything from network cabling using fiber- and copper-based systems Smart Home technologies, voice of IP phone systems and 5G wireless antenna installation.

“We need young people that want to work. I can’t stress this enough,” said Jason Becker, executive vice president for MIDTEL. “We were a sleepy company for 100 years and then all of the sudden in the last 25 years, boom,” he said, adding that the growth was industry wide as demand switched from telephone to internet and data service.

A Mid-Hudson Cable technician corroborated the demand, saying he and coworker are working 12 hours a  day, seven days a week to need the demand.

Beyond the demand created by people needing access at home to the high-speed internet, the switch from to 5G internet connectivity that was already taking place requires a whole new infrastructure to be built – with new 5G antennas  being installed  and fiber cables being strung.

The Network Cabling Technician/Smart Home Technology program utilizes C-Tech, an international workforce development company specializing in curriculum development, to provide industry recognized certificates.

Using those certificates, students like Chris Rarick, a senior from Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central High School, can begin careers in telecommunication, audio/visual and telephone industries, or have a head start on higher education.

“I‘m working now on the side installing security cameras and wiring. I had to run cable to all the remote locations, test them and make sure they were operational.  Just recently completed a job and it was a lot of fun,” Rarick said.

Upon graduation, Rarick hopes to make his business a full-time venture.

“I feel like this has already helped me reach my goals and taught me everything I need to know to get started in wiring and cabling,” he said

Classmate Jasmine Neill said the program has given her a bright future. 

“I am going to work in telecommunications - anything within the industry. I really enjoy the skills and the trade,” said the Sharon Springs student.

Students interested in the program should contact their home school district’s school counselor. For more information on the program, visit https://www.capitalregionboces.org/career-technical-education/courses-programs/network-cabling-smart-home-technology/ or email edward.henson@neric.org or Nancy.Liddle@neric.org.