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.
Be sure to follow us Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn to hear more about our programs and stories like Evan’s below.
Questar III BOCES EMT & Health Careers student Evan Hoffman is a senior at Donald R. Kline Technical School from Germantown Central School District. This program provides students with a variety of certifications, including CPR, FEMA, CPS and all the skills needed to take the NYS EMT-B Exam.
“Being able to get these certifications in high school is so much easier,” shared Evan. “You get to do it during your school day versus on your own time. Plus, it’s free to take here instead of having to pay out of pocket.”
Students have visited Hudon Valley Community College where they sat in on a cardiology lecture and visited the Department of Health. But most of their time outside the classroom is spent at Columbia Memorial where they participate in clinicals. Students assist nurses with patient vital signs and other assignments as patients enter the ER. Evan shared that the bonus to clinicals is the opportunity to work on his communication skills.
“Here at Questar III, you’re always learning something useful,” said Evan. “When I come home every day, I know I’ve learned something new that can be applied in the real world. It could be a skill that could save someone’s life, or just life skills for my day-to-day.”
Evan also absorbs a wealth of knowledge from his teacher, Mr. Fox, an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic.
“Mr. Fox has done it all,” said Evan. “Every topic we cover, he has a million stories about what he did, how it helped, or what he didn’t do and how it could have helped. He can share his experiences with us to make sure we do or don’t do the same things that he did.”
Following graduation, Evan will be joining the Marine Corps. At this time, he has no intention of becoming a hospital corpsman (an enlisted medical specialist), but he did share that the basic life support training and certifications he’s earning are great skills to take with him to the military.
