Shedding light on learning at Capital Region BOCES

SCHOHARIE -- If they build it, they will learn.

That might as well as be the motto of the construction program at Capital Region BOCES where hands-on learning is pivotal to the lessons taught involving construction and heavy equipment operation.

A major aspect of that in the construction semesters of the two-year Construction/Heavy Equipment Program that is located on the Schoharie campus involves the building and sale of sheds.

Students for decades have been building and selling them for the cost of supplies.

 “The phone is ringing off the hook for them,” said Dave Doherty, construction teacher. “we have made two so far this year (at the end of October) and renovated one but we could have made many more.”

 The construction of the sheds teaches students everything from framing techniques to roofing, design and a multitude of other skills.

 “I am learning how to frame with this. That’s a skill I will need,” said Mark Amedore, a senior from Schalmont who plans to study business in college and then join the family construction and development business.

 “I really enjoy the framing. I just like to build stuff. I want to go into construction when I am done with school,” added classmate Mark Nardine Jr., also from Schalmont.

 Doherty, who also owns a construction business, said the cost of supplies has spiked about 30 percent industry-wide this year as a result of the pandemic, with the sheds now costing nearly $2,000.

 Still, he said, it’s a good deal not only for the recipient, but also the students.

The two-year Construction/Heavy Equipment Program teaches students the knowledge and skills required to enter the construction and equipment operator industries or pursue further education in college or technical school. Students learn everything from equipment operator and maintenance skills to how to construct a building while earning National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certifications, which are recognized nationwide by contractors and employers, as well as OSHA and first aid certifications.