News
March 19, 2019Attending Capital Region BOCES was Life-Changing for this Senior
A Capital Region BOCES senior is praising the automotive program with changing his life.
Joe Pedersen, a student in the Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES) program, is working, learning the latest in automotive technology and planning to attend Hudson Valley Community College in the fall thanks to his time at Capital Region BOCES.
“If I hadn’t taken the BOCES program, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today (working in a garage and planning to go to college),” said Pedersen, who attends BOCES from the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (BHBL) Central School District.
Hear Pedersen in his own words in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPp4Pmbtcno&feature=youtu.be
Pedersen turned an unpaid internship at Gil’s Garage in Burnt Hills, which he was placed in through the BOCES work-based learning program, into a paid internship last fall.
“Our shop foreman really liked him, he has good skills and a good work ethic and he wants to make a career out of it so we felt he should have a paid internship,” said Mike Brewster, his boss at Gil’s Garage.
Through the work-based learning program, students are placed in approximately 80 worksites across the region, from metal fabricators to hotels and garages. A very small percentage of those turn into paid internships, though they do occur, said James Hass, work-based learning coordinator for Capital Region BOCES.
It’s also through BOCES that Pedersen started earning college credits. The AYES program awards up to 15 college credits to students who successfully complete it in their senior year.
“I am going to give Hudson Valley a try. I wasn’t sure (about college) before, but since I have college credits already, it just makes sense,” Pedersen said.
Pedersen’s teacher Brian LaCroix said he is hard working and driven.
“Joe’s a good kid. A hard worker and has a good skill set,” LaCroix said.
Pedersen is one of 11 students in the AYES this year; there are 95 students taking automotive trades technology classes on the Albany and Schoharie campuses this year and still others studying diesel engine repair and auto body repair.
Experts say there is a dramatic need for new workers like Pedersen in the industry.
“It’s a real challenge to find good workers,” said Brewster.
