Page 46 - SKILLS - 2023

MAKING YOUR CAREER WORK
Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES
(www.pnwboces.org)
PNW BOCES offers high school students and adult learners about
50 programs, with opportunities for certifications, internships, and up
to 21 college credits, says Catherine Balestrieri, director of career and technical education. Its English as a New Language (ENL) academy, for older teenagers who can’t earn a
high school diploma, provides all-day programs to earn a Spanish GED, learn English, and prepare for bilingual trade opportunities.
Every program has agreements with various colleges, and PNW also hosts committees of business and industry partners. “The partners
tell us the equipment we need, the trainings we should offer, and also provide internship and job-shadowing opportunities,” she says.
She reports that PNW BOCES’ construction trade and health academies are “booming.” Students in the traditional trades can earn OSHA accreditation, and students
in healthcare programs — including nurse aide, sports medicine, EMT first responder, and patient care technician — can work in rotations at their partner hospitals.
A new program is teaching horizontal directional drilling, which involves a piece of heavy equipment that installs fiber-optic cables without breaking the ground. Trainees work on a simulator donated by the manufacturer. “We partner with Prius and Tesla, and the students learn the software as well as the mechanics,” says Balestrieri.
Numerous other programs,
in security, child development, veterinary science, culinary arts, and more are pushing enrollment to all-time highs, she reports. “We are really proud that employers give our students internships that can lead to jobs down the line,” she says. “Our med students have gone on to high-level positions in area hospitals. We just had someone from culinary open
a local restaurant. The stories are endless of kids being able to pursue
a passion for something.”
What is SkillsUSA?
The SkillsUSA Championships are career competition events showcasing the best career and technical education students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels.
In late April, more than 2,500 students from 83 different trade and technical schools in New York competed in 88 trade- and skill- based contests at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.
Students from Saunders Trades and Technical High School in Yonkers brought home several prizes from the competition:
• First Place, Extemporaneous Speech: Christina Hernandez • First Place, Prepared Speech:
Nataly Phillipe
• Second Place, Fashion Design:
Xavier Polo Cruz
• Second Place, Carpentry:
Ryan Quijada
• Third Place, Community Service (3 students): Yajayra Paredes, Shauna Farrell, Mohamed Baker
• Third Place, Electronic Technology: Christopher Altomare
• Third Place, T-shirt Design:
Kristina Chopak
Want to become a member of the SkillsUSA organization?
Find out more at nysskillsusa.org.
44 2023 SKILLS
What’s Hot. What’s Next. What’s Needed.
Healthcare classes are an especially popular option at local training centers. Pictured here is PNW BOCES Medical Assistant student Marck Anthony Arriola Alarcon, who earned third place in First Aid/CPR at a regional SkillsUSA competition in Goshen.
© Courtesy of PNW BOCES