News

June 6, 2019

Congressman Tours Capital Region BOCES Schoharie Campus, Learns From Students and Faculty About the Value of a Career and Technical Education

Capital Region BOCES students, faculty and staff rolled out the red carpet for U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado on Thursday as he toured the Schoharie Career and Technical School Campus.

During a nearly two-hour visit, the first-term congressman learned about the culinary, cosmetology, heavy equipment, construction, automotive and criminal justice programs offered on the campus and the two new programs that will be offered there next year – telecommunication and network technician and two-year sequence of health careers.

The congressman also sampled shrimp and other delicacies created by culinary students and received an offer to return to campus to try his hand at a paraffin wax courtesy of the cosmetology students.

One by one, students offered testimonials to Delgado about the value of the education they are receiving at Capital Region BOCES.

“I like that it prepares you for the real world. You aren’t just reading social studies packets, you are learning skills you need one on one with the teacher,” junior Alisse Winning, a cosmetology student from Cobleskill-Richmondville (CRCS), told Delgado.

“It’s fun and it prepares you for the rest of your life. I am going to UTI (Universal Technical Institute) when I graduate and going into automotive and I am starting that here,” added Anthony Babbie, an automotive technology student from CRCS.

Other students told the congressman that a BOCES education truly works for them because they learn better when they are engaged.

“BOCES breaks up my day. I learn better working with my hands so this is good for me,” said Justin Fancher, a construction student from CRCS.

Delgado praised the work of the students and vowed to fight to not only continue support of career and technical education, but invest more in it.

“It’s important that we find a way to invest in programs like this that are more targeted (in terms of job training),” Delgado said.