Questar III BOCES celebrates Career and Technical Education Month®, an opportunity to showcase our students, while also recognizing the importance of our programs to the region and economy.
New York State is experiencing a skills gap. While 49% of New York jobs require skilled training – more education than high school, but less than a 4-year degree – only 37% of New Yorkers are trained at this level. Students enrolled in our CTE programs are learning the skills they need to help bridge this gap, while setting themselves up for successful careers in high-demand fields.
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Questar III BOCES Construction student Jacob Somma is a senior at Donald R. Kline Technical School from Germantown Central School District. Some might say construction is in his blood… quite literally, his father owns a construction company.
Jacob became interested in construction after working with his dad. When he came to Questar III, he had already learned a great deal from his father.
“I usually helped my dad with additions and framing,” said Jacob. “We also just finished gutting a property. My experience there has been helpful in the classroom, but I’ve also learned plenty of skills at school too.”
While Jacob has the advantage of a business owner in his field at home, all CTE students meet professionals through field trips, guest speakers, internships, and shadowing. Last year, Jacob enjoyed visiting a modular home factory and the construction facility at Columbia-Greene Community College. Another bonus is that his teacher, Mr. Ebel, is also a professional in the construction field.
“It’s helpful that he understands construction,” said Jacob. “If we ever get stuck or lost on something, he knows exactly what to do and helps us get through it.”
A CTE school is different from a traditional high school experience. When asked what sets it apart, Jacob shared that he gets to learn more life skills.
“With math here, we learn things like how to write checks, how to use spreadsheets. In a traditional school, you learn about basic equations and algebra. This provides more real-life scenarios.”
As we head into the second half of the school year, those looking towards graduation are starting on their senior projects. Jacob will be using his construction skills for a unique project – an epoxy resin table with a live edge, showcasing the program’s versatility.
“I’m currently using SketchUp (a computer program) to design my project,” shared Jacob. “I’ll cut a live edge piece of wood down the center, adding epoxy to the crack so it looks like a river down the center.”
High school seniors are also starting to make plans for what happens after graduation. As for Jacob, he plans to become a lineman. He will attend Columbia-Greene Community College while he continues to work for his dad, and then head to lineman school.
“If someone has any interest in the trades and they’re not sure if they want to go to college, attending Questar III is a great idea,” Jacob added. “They’ll help you figure out what you want to do in life. I’m glad I joined the program.”
