Education, business and political leaders are heralding the opening of the new Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education Center and the Albany Campus.
A ribbon- cutting ceremony Tuesday at the center, located at 925 Watervliet-Shaker Road in Albany, attracted hundreds of dignitaries, business and education industry representatives and educators who celebrated the impact the facility will have not just on the students it will educate, but the industries it prepares students to enter.
“BOCES has taken it to another level with the opening of the new Career & Technical Education Center at the Albany Campus,” said Brian Hemlock, president of TCI NY.
“Through our partnership with Capital Region BOCES, students come to us ready to work and with this new facility they will be even more equipped with the skills they need to be successful.”
“As an employer of a successful CTE alumni we strongly support and applaud Capital Region BOCES on the opening of the Albany Career & Technical Education Center,” said Jim Becker, president of MIDTEL Family of Companies.
Workforce development has been an issue and finding employees with the aptitude and desire for working in the telecommunications and networking field has been our industry’s biggest challenge recently. This center is a major step in helping resolve that issue both here in the Capital Region and statewide.”
“The opportunity that kids can have to explore in this facility is amazing,” added Daniel McCoy, Albany County Executive. “BOCES is truly changing people’s lives.”
The opening of the Career & Technical Education Center--Albany Campus ushers in a new era of education and workforce development for the region. The facility is home to 25 high school programs and several adult education programs that will prepare students for in-demand careers now, as well as careers that will be in high demand in the future.
“Because of our close relationship with business leaders around this region, we are able to prepare our students for the most in-demand jobs now, as well as the jobs that will be in high demand in the years to come,” said Capital Region BOCES Senior Executive Officer Joseph Dragone.
Work began on the 170,000-square-foot facility in 2020 and it will open to students on September 6.
Approximately 1,100 high school students are registered for classes in the facility this school year. While registration for adult education courses is ongoing, more than 200 adults are expected to take classes at the new center as well.
The three-story facility is home to the latest in job site technology thanks to the input of business partners who work diligently with BOCES teachers to ensure that students are prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
One example of the way students will be prepared with the latest and greatest technology is the addition of a Lincoln Electric VRTEX welding simulator for students in the Welding & Metal Fabrication program that was funded in part through a $25,000 grant from the American Welding Society. The BOCES Grant Writing Service along with faculty and staff prepared the grant.
Similarly, students in the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration (HVAC/R) program will benefit from new refrigeration and heat pump trainers that will “simulate problems the students will face as HVAC/R technicians and allow them to observe and better understand the conditions inside a refrigeration system,” said teacher Tim Duane.
The following programs will be located in the Career & Technical Education Center – Albany Campus: Auto Body Collision Repair and Refinishing, Automotive Services, Auto Trades Technology, Automotive Youth Educational System (AYES), Building Trades, Carpentry Services, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Technology, Digital Media Design, Diesel Technology, Early Childhood Education, Electrical Trades and Game Design and Implementation. Other career development programs housed in the new educational center are Global Fashion Studies, HVAC/R, Manufacturing and Machining Technology, Network Cabling/Smart Home Technology, Sterile Processing Technician, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers, and Welding and Metal Fabrication.