Page 17 - Skills - 2024

steamfitters, and other tradespeople to meet with students, discuss their jobs, and possibly recruit future workers.
Healthcare offerings at PNW
BOCES include nursing assistant and
medical assistant certificate training.
The New Visions Health program
provides students an opportunity
to rotate through local hospitals
to observe what doctors, nurses,
and other staff do in a typical workday. And the recently launched New Visions Sports Medicine program explores that growing job specialty, plus related careers in physical therapy and occupational therapy. “These are all expanding fields, and we want to help students prepare for careers in them,” Lowery says.
Southern Westchester BOCES
(www.swboces.org)
“We have about 750 students in 11th and 12th grades
from 32 districts now attending,” says Dahlia Jackson, who heads secondary programs as director of the Southern Westchester BOCES (SWBOCES) Center for Career Services.
Among its approximately two dozen programs, students especially seek out electrical, HVAC, and construction training, Jackson notes. “Cosmetology is another popular
course, and we’re also launching
a barbering program,” as well as reintroducing the SWBOCES nursing assistant certification training.
Some classes feature work-based learning out in the community. Students in the automotive program, for instance, can train alongside employees in
local car dealerships and repair shops. “Students really benefit, because it
reinforces what’s being taught in the classroom,” Jackson says. SWBOCES also offers adult-oriented programs. Tracy
Racicot, director of Adult & Community Services, explains: “We provide entry-level training for about 1,200 people annually who might not have had the opportunity to attend one of our high school programs.” In addition, about 2,000 students take ESL and adult literacy classes.
SWBOCES classes prep adult students in fields such as automotive, construction, technology, and healthcare. “One big plus is that our training is mostly in the evening,
Opposite page: Students at PNW BOCES participate in trainings for careers such as sports medicine (top of page) and auto body repair (center left). At SWBOCES, popular trainings include the electrical trades (bottom left) and welding (this page).
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5/13/24 10:51 AM What’s Hot. What’s Next. What’s Needed. 2024 SKILLS 15
© Sherry Bruck, Harquin
Helping Employers & Job Seekers Get Connected
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING REIMBURSEMENTS
SECTOR SPECIFIC TRAINING
VIRTUAL AND ON-SITE CAREER FAIRS
CAREER PATHWAY COUNSELING
The Westchester-Putnam Career Center Network (WPCCN),
made up of four career centers staffed by employees of Westchester and Putnam counties and the NYS Department
of Labor, provides free state-of-the-art technology, training, workshops, resources, career counseling and recruiting services. We have connected thousands of job seekers to training and employment in all types of industries and helped businesses subsidize their training costs. The WPCCN is overseen by the Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Board (WPWDB) which includes private and public sector leaders.
Free services for both job seekers & employers include:
• Virtual and In-Person Workshops
• On-site and Virtual Career Fairs
• Career Path & Employment Counseling
• Subsidized Training for Eligible Job Seekers
• Computer Resource Room Access
• Young Adult & Youth Employment Programs
• Training Reimbursement Programs for Employers • Employee Recruitment Assistance
White Plains Career Center 120 Bloomingdale Rd. White Plains, NY 10605 (914)995-3910
Carmel Career Center 110 Old Route 6, #3 Carmel, NY 10512 (845)808-1651
Mount Vernon Career Center 130 Mt. Vernon Ave. Mt. Vernon, NY 10550 (914)813-6555
Peekskill Career Center 201 S. James St. Peekskill, NY 10566 (914)737-3490
For more information visit: www.westchesterputnamonestop.com County
BUSINESS SERVICES
CAREER COUNSELING
SUBSIDIZED TRAINING