ALBANY/SCHOHARIE — Nearly 1 million workers are needed in the construction industry by the end of 2026, making now the best time in recent history for those considering making a living in construction.
For students in the Capital Region, the BOCES Career and Technical Education Center offers eight different programs from which they could lay the foundation for a great career in construction. Programs include Building Trades, Carpentry, Electrical Trades, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Heavy Equipment Repair and Operation (HERO), Plumbing Trades, Network Technology and Welding and Metal Fabrication.
Enrollment in these programs continues to rise with more than 400 high school students from more than 24 area school districts in registered for those eight programs. This underscores a greater trend of students and their families realizing the value of skilled trades and, correspondingly, BOCES partners realizing the value of its program and students.
“The work done here at BOCES and CTE is amazing. It … puts students on the road to great success,” said Brian Williams, Executive Director, Capital Region Workforce Development Board.
More than two-dozen students who took part in the National Signing Day celebration at Capital Region BOCES last school year were entering the construction industry.
Among them was Braeden All, who graduated in June from the Building Trades program.
“When I first walked into this program, I wasn’t sure where I was headed. Now, I’m walking out with purpose, pride and a clear direction. I know I’m not the only one who feels that way,” said the Middleburgh alumni.
Fellow 2025 graduate Samantha Herzog echoed those sentiments.
“I really enjoy all of the different activities we do and how we learn to operate so many different pieces of equipment,” said Samantha Herzog, a HERO program graduate from Schoharie who has joined the Laborers’ 157 Union and been hired by Murnane Building Contractors Inc. “I feel well prepared for a career thanks to BOCES.”
Nearly 100 area businesses and institutions regularly collaborate with Capital Region BOCES to build the future of the construction industry in the Capital Region and beyond. Their support is crucial not only to student success, but also to the future of the construction industry.
These include partners such as Associated General Contractors of New York State, National Grid, BBL Construction Services, Finke Equipment Co., STS Steel, Milton CAT, Abele Tractor & Equipment Co., Kamco Supply New England and Penske Corp.
”These partnerships are critical because they allow us to stay on top of what is going on in the industry,” said Nancy Liddle, Capital Region BOCES Managing Program Coordinator-Business & Community Partnerships. “They also help to place students in good jobs that help grow the regional economy and overcome national unemployment trends.”
Business representatives agree.
Jeff Knox, CEO of Bill Lake Modular Home, works with students in the Building Trades program.
“We need people like this in our industry. The industry is desperate for people with these skills,” he said.
Scott Nadeau, an Organizer for UA Local 7, Plumbers and Steamfitters union, said “BOCES is a valuable partner for us. They provide us with students who are interested in the trades, who want to learn and work, and who have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of the trades.”
Chloe Yonos, of MLB Construction, echoed those sentiments.
“We are always looking for ways to support the skilled trades. Workforce development is a big issue for us, so any way we can get in front of students and talk about the outstanding careers that exist is a bonus for us,” she said.
According to the Associated Builders and Contractors Association, the construction industry will need to bring in more than 501,000 new workers on top of normal hiring this year to meet industry demand and another 454,000 workers on top of normal hiring in 2025, and that’s presuming that construction spending growth slows significantly.
Capital Region BOCES provides students with pathways to great careers in the construction industry through programming in areas such electrical trades, heavy equipment, building trades, network technology, carpentry, welding, and heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration.
Enrollment in the eight construction-related programs on the high-school level continues to rise. This underscores a greater trend of students and their families realizing the value of skilled trades.
Among the students enrolled is Nathan Micelli, an Electrical Trades senior from Niskayuna.
“I really like that you have an immediate reward for your work. You wire something, turn the lights on and can sit back and say, ‘I made that happen’,” he said.
Azrael Lozano of Voorheesvillle is pursuing a career in plumbing.
"I want to get into a skilled trade. I was thinking of doing electrical, but I thought more about the work and the money and chose plumbing," he said.
Nearly all Capital Region BOCES programs provide students with professional certifications, many of which are recognized nationwide by contractors and employers. Many of the adult programs boast a 100% career placement.
“The construction industry offers exciting, interesting and rewarding careers—with or without an advanced degree,” said Associated General Contractors New York State CEO and President Michael J. Elmendorf II. “Quite literally, our industry and the individuals who make it work, build New York state. From buildings to bridges and even iconic places like Yankee Stadium or facilities at the Saratoga Racetrack, our members - many of whom are Capital Region BOCES graduates - can proudly say, ‘I built that.’”
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