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March 30, 2023Area Trade School, Union Offers Masonry Training to Capital Region BOCES Students
An area trade school and union is collaborating with Capital Region BOCES to bring a new skill set to area high school students this week.
The Upstate Masonry Institute (UMI) is teaching an introduction to masonry course for students in the Building Trades program on the Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education Center – Albany Campus. They are being helped in the training by Gordon Riddell, a retired bricklayer from the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 2.
The masonry exposure initiative introduces students to the Bricklayers Allied Craftworkers trade while taking a hands-on approach to learning the fundamentals of masonry with brick and block, said Amanda Bedian, director of business development & marketing at UMI.
“Across the trades, it’s difficult to get workers,” she said, “that’s why we want to get into the classrooms to reach the next generation of skilled workers.”
“They are doing well. They are learning really quick,” said Riddell, while taking a break from showing a student the proper way to “mud” a cement block.
Bedian said working with BOCES students is crucial to the future of the skilled trades.
And, for their part, students said they enjoyed the training and gaining new skills that will expand their professional offerings after graduation.
“I like this a lot. It’s something different and it expands my horizons,” said Emily Grace Michaud, who attends Capital Region BOCES from the Voorheesville Central School District.
“This is really cool. This and all of the other types of things we are learning within this career will really give us options,” added classmate Elijah Edwards, from Schenectady.
Capital Region BOCES Managing Program Coordinator-Business & Community Partnerships Nancy Liddle said, “providing the masonry training in conjunction with UMI is giving them more exposure and expanding their resumes and building strong, transferrable skill sets.”
The institute offered the same training last fall to students on the Career and Technical Education Center – Schoharie Campus.
