Seniors from a variety of Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Career and Technical Education programs completed pre-apprenticeships at local businesses.
Students worked at select businesses after school for a minimum of 60 hours of quality on-the-job training in combination with related classroom instruction. After completion of the program, some students were offered positions to continue employment with the participating business.
“I enjoyed applying skills I learned to the workforce and am happy to continue working at Darrow’s Adirondack Motors after graduation,” said Elijah Jones, a senior from Poland Central School District who is in the Herkimer BOCES Power Sports & Agricultural Mechanics program.
Advanced Manufacturing senior Riyen Wentworth, from Central Valley Central School District, also will become a paid employee following his pre-apprenticeship.
“I appreciate the opportunity I was provided and am excited to be staying on as a permanent employee at Turbo Machined Products,” Wentworth said.
For each week worked, participating students received a $100 gift card. Upon completing the required hours, students received a $1,000 stipend and a laptop computer.
The pre-apprenticeship program is a collaboration between the Herkimer BOCES career tech center’s work-based learning department, local businesses and the HMO Workforce Development Board.
Some of the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Career and Technical Education seniors who completed pre-apprenticeships with local businesses pose together for a photo. From left: Advanced Manufacturing student Richard Savarese (Central Valley), Advanced Manufacturing student Riyen Wentworth (Central Valley), Welding and Metal Fabrication student James Amendolare (Central Valley) and Power Sports & Agricultural Mechanics student Elijah Jones (Poland).