WHS students tour Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education programs

Approximately two dozen Watervliet high school students had an opportunity to explore potential career interests during an excursion to the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center’s Albany campus on Jan. 7.

The 23 sophomores have wide-ranging interests from criminal justice to culinary, early childhood education to electrical trades, game design to global fashion, and more! They will be eligible to attend the BOCES career and technical education (CTE) programs beginning their junior year.

Two students talk with an educator at the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center in Albany Two students talk with each other at the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center in Albany Three students and an educator in the kitchen lab at the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center in Albany

Some of the students have a clear vision of the career path they want to take and were eager to learn more about how BOCES can provide that competitive edge as they prepare for their future.

“I want to be a cop. A lot of my family are in law enforcement, and I want to join them and help make the world a better place,” said 10th grader Makenzie Ryan, who toured the Criminal Justice program.

Classmate Brandon Doin focused on the Electrical Trades program.

“I am interested in electrical [work] because a couple of family friends told me about it and how it is a good trade to know,” he said.

Fellow sophomore Allanah Barnes is hoping to find the recipe for success in the kitchen.

“I want to learn how to cook and make more things,” she said while trying her hand at cooking in one of four BOCES Culinary Arts and Hospitality Tech program labs.

Career and technical education offers a promising pathway for students looking to build career skills, get a start on their college education or learn a life skill that can help them pay for college.

In nearly all of the 27 programs Capital Region BOCES offers, students can earn certifications and valuable skills while also working in real-world settings through area businesses.

At the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center, more than 70% of high school students pursue higher education, while many others directly enter the workforce with a highly technical skill set such as cooking, network cabling or operating heavy equipment.

Enrollment is currently underway for the 2025-26 school year. Visit Capital Region BOCES website for more information on career and technical school programs