Dutchess BOCES and Dutchess County Government recently hosted the annual Skilled Trades Fair, at which representatives from nearly 30 businesses, organizations and educational institutions met with students and adults from the community to talk about career opportunities.
Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino thanked BOCES for partnering with her office on amazing initiatives and encouraged visitors to take advantage of the opportunities on display in the Career & Technical Institute’s hallways.
“I did not take the ‘traditional path’ when it came to establishing my own career, and that is why I am so passionate about ensuring that our residents of all ages know that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to planning your future,” Serino said. “It is our hope that through this event, we can raise awareness and inspire attendees to further investigate one of the many skilled trades here in the Hudson Valley.”
Dorsey Metrology International, a manufacturer of precision measurement equipment primarily for the aircraft industry, is a returning vendor where its President, Devon Luty, shared what she looks for in potential hires. “We’re looking for someone interested in what we do and who is capable of working with their hands,” Luty said. “It’s important to show our support to the community.”
Two CTI welding students are doing internships at Dorsey that could potentially lead to employment. “BOCES has been great, and primarily they’ve brought us students who are willing to learn,” Luty said. “We are interested in finding talented youth to continue what we do.”
First-year welding student Nick Spinosa found the fair beneficial as he met representatives from varied industries, including the New York State Police and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community, where he did not expect to find welding opportunities. “They said that they do welding in jail in the cells and they said you teach convicts how to weld,” Spinosa said of the Department of Corrections. “I definitely talked to a lot of people and made a lot of connections … they’ve got every field in the book here.”
Poughkeepsie High School Senior Adel Rogers came to the fair to see what job opportunities were available to him at his age and appreciates how accommodating they were to high school students. “A decent amount of these tables hold on-the-job training, which I consider a huge help,” Rogers said.
One of the vendors Rogers spoke to was Stockade Works, a nonprofit that creates opportunities in film and television production, as he is interested in filmmaking. He considers fairs like this beneficial to high school students who may not pursue college. “It’s just fun to see what jobs there are, half of them I didn’t even know existed,” Rogers said.
It was the first time Kyle Parenzan, Training Director for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 363, had not been to Dutchess BOCES before, but he is familiar with the BOCES environment — he is a Rockland BOCES graduate and considers it a vital resource. It helped him get into the union, and he saw the potential in the CTI students he spoke with. “I think perhaps that’s why they’re so focused and asking the right questions is because they’re coming from BOCES,” Parenzan said. “I go to a lot of different BOCES programs around the area, and it is tough to get into, which shows the demand for it.”
