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ABC visits
HFM's ENCON program
Construction trade association hopes to pave students' career
pathway with opportunities
 Every
step closer to high school graduation is one step closer to
seeking a job. For Don Lucas and Ben Conte’s environmental
conservation students, the steps they take now as juniors and
seniors at HFM BOCES could open doors to career opportunities in
the construction trade or toward additional college training.
Representatives from the Empire State Chapter of Associated
Builders and Contractors (ABC) paid a visit to BOCES Monday,
Oct. 25, to discuss ways the national construction association
could help advance HFM students in their training.
ABC’s educational component, the Construction Training Centers
of New York State (CTCNYS) provides the construction industry
with craft training and apprenticeship-related instruction. Its
courses are accredited by the National Center for Construction
Education and Research (NCCER), the same education foundation
that accredits the curriculum used in the BOCES’ environmental
conservation class.
“Any exposure to professional practices and businesses in our
industry benefits the students’ career preparation,” Mr. Lucas
said. “NCCER was created by the construction industry to develop
a standardized curriculum with portable credentials that would
help address the shortage of skilled construction workers.”
NCCER is now recognized by the industry as the training,
assessment, certification, and career development standard for
construction, maintenance, and pipeline craft professionals.
 HFM’s
Environmental Conservation program includes heavy equipment
operation and maintenance along with forestry and natural
resource management. The curriculum—facilitated by veteran
teachers Lucas and Conte—has students fulfilling most of their
“classroom” time outdoors, working in real-work experiences to
master necessary skills along with the math and science
principles that underlie their program.
They learn to operate backhoes, bulldozers, tractors, chainsaws,
a band saw mill and a wide variety of other equipment in
practical laboratory and field exercises.
Eastern New York Regional Vice President Joshua Reap, who toured
HFM BOCES’ facility with Director of Workforce Resources Jackie
Curley, was impressed by the hands-on opportunities for
students.
“What a great facility, and tremendous opportunity for
students,” Mr. Reap said. “We don't see so many outdoor,
hands-on student projects in most school settings."
Reap said that there is a growing demand for skilled workers in
the construction trade. "Any student that doesn’t feel like
college is the right route could take this path to a lucrative
career in construction.”
Cooperation between HFM BOCES and ABC can help pave the way for
students interested in construction jobs. According to Reap,
contractors trust NCCER-trained, entry-level employees from ABC
partner schools.
After completing HFM’s two-year environmental conservation
program, students will have accumulated the skills and
experience to step into one of ABC’s apprentice programs and
advance toward certifications needed to land a construction job
anywhere in the country.
“We can save companies money by shortening the time our kids
need to complete their apprentice program,” Mr. Lucas said. “Our
HFM program is academically strong—students earn a high school
math credit for the geometry and trigonometry component of the
curriculum—and rich in practical experience. Instead of simply
describing a piece of equipment or procedure, our kids go
outside and use the equipment and do the procedure.”
In addition, an on-the-job internship is a graduation
requirement.
“We turn out a good product,” Mr. Lucas boasted.
Learn more about HFM BOCES Environmental
Conservation program
here
Learn more about Associated Builders and
Contractors by visiting their
website.
Learn more about the National Center for
Construction Education and Research and its training,
assessment, certification, and career development standards on
their
website. |
