Above photo: Wyatt Strobeck, Welding
ALBANY/SCHOHARIE – The Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center is well positioned to help area high school students meet proposed new graduation requirements being considered by the state Board of Regents.
Among many changes the state is considering in its Portrait of a Graduate plan is a proposal that all high school students earn a minimum of one credit in career and technical education (CTE) in order to graduate. The proposed CTE requirement is tentatively scheduled to begin with the 2027-28 incoming freshman class.
Capital Region BOCES CTE offers 29 programs—ranging from Welding and Metal Fabrication to Game Design and Implementation—that would help high school students not only meet that requirement but prepare for in-demand careers. Capital Region BOCES operates one of the largest regional CTE centers in New York State, serving more than 1,500 students annually from across the Capital Region. The recent opening of the Capital Region BOCES CTE Extension Center in Albany further expands capacity to serve students and meet growing demand for career-connected learning.
These programs not only help students meet graduation requirements—existing ones and those being considered—but also offer students opportunities to take part in work-based learning in area businesses and network with business leaders at events throughout the school year.
“Career and technical education already plays a critical role in preparing students for both college and careers,” said Jeff Palmer, Director of Career and Technical Education at Capital Region BOCES. “If these proposed changes are adopted, Capital Region BOCES is well positioned to support component districts by providing high-quality, hands-on programs aligned to workforce needs and student interests.”
“Portrait of a Graduate is very important in that high school graduates will now go out and experience internships and have a Capstone project. I am a graduate of [Capital Region BOCES] and I know how important that was to me and shaping my future,” said Package One Shop Foreman Joe Lape. Package One is a Schenectady manufacturer that works with BOCES to provide training and work-based learning to students.
The New York State School Boards Association said the state's graduation requirement is timely. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce recently noted that each year there is, and will be for the next several years, a greater demand for employees with credentials that could lead to better paying "middle-skills" jobs – i.e., jobs that might require certification or more, yet not a four-year degree – in certain occupational categories.
According to Georgetown, some of these middle-skills occupations include mechanics, manufacturing technicians, HVAC technicians, and other skilled technical occupations.
Capital Region BOCES provides students with hands-on training that prepares them for these in-demand careers.
“We have five recent BOCES graduates, four in manufacturing and one on a management track. This work we do with BOCES—and will continue to do—is so critical to our success,” said Patrisia Sheremeta, Human Resources Director at Greno Industries, another Schenectady manufacturer.
Adams Heating & Cooling Co. representative Patrick McMahon said BOCES has bolstered the company’s workforce.
“We’ve gotten a handful of workers from BOCES [in the past], which is why it’s important for us to be here and to meet with these kids,” McMahon said during a recent visit to CTE. “It’s pretty hard to get good workers and harder to keep them, so every little effort helps.”
Currently, more than 43,000 students hone competencies through BOCES CTE programs in New York state and more than 4,590 businesses sit on BOCES CTE advisory councils. Locally, more than 1,500 students attend CTE programs at Capital Region BOCES CTE and more than 400 businesses sit on advisory councils for Capital Region BOCES.
NYSSBA President Sandra Ruffo said in a New York State School Board’s Association story that the graduation changes reflect a greater emphasis on all parties working together to boost students.
"Everyone involved in public education has the same goal: to help students reach their highest potential and prepare them for the world that awaits after school," said Ruffo. "BOCES is an excellent way to achieve that goal."