Located in Valhalla, the Southern Westchester BOCES Center for Career Services enrolls 851 students from 32 component districts in 20 different CTE programs. With the programs’ curricula informed by the latest industry needs and articulation agreements with 10 different colleges, students who graduate from these programs are ready for bright futures.
Thanks to NYSUT’s ongoing advocacy, last year’s state budget included a key provision that doubled BOCES reimbursement rates from $30,000 to $60,000 over the next three years, making it possible for even more students to have access to these increasingly popular programs.
“This is the most significant legislative change for BOCES in three decades,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person at the annual Southern Westchester BOCES Legislative Advocacy Breakfast. “We're going to be able to meet the demand for career and technical education that we haven't been able to. It’s also going to enable us to meet the changing dynamics of public education. When you talk about the future of public education, you can’t not talk about CTE.”
CTE programs like the one at Southern Westchester BOCES are doing double-duty, Person said, helping meet the growing need for an increasingly skilled workforce and meeting the changing needs of today’s students, who are seeking more hands-on learning opportunities based on real-world experiences.
As a result of the reimbursement increase, Southern Westchester BOCES has already been able to add two new programs — HVAC and welding — to its extensive list of secondary programs and is moving forward with its plans to expand into the White Plains City School District.
“These steps bring us closer to our goal of ensuring that every student, no matter their background or ZIP code, has the chance to explore their passions and build meaningful career pathways,” said Mairead Schuelein, president of the Southern Westchester BOCES Teachers Association.
Seventy-eight percent of the Southern Westchester BOCES students who graduated in 2024 went directly into jobs or college.
New York State Senator Shelley Mayer was impressed by the students’ motivation and enthusiasm for their studies. “A lot of people lose that enthusiasm in high school. BOCES is a way to rekindle that excitement,” Mayer said. “Between the career preparation, and the leadership skills, and the community they find with other students, this is a wonderful model, and we’ve got to replicate it.”
Assemblymember Chris Burdick agreed. “Each time I go to Southern Westchester BOCES, I am newly impressed with the depth and breadth of the offerings,” said Burdick. “There is a misconception that going straight from high school to a four-year college is the only path to success. BOCES allows students to obtain good-paying jobs to support themselves and their families, while leaving the door open to higher education opportunities. Moreover, by offering training programs and promoting vital careers in the trade industries, BOCES is helping to fill the void created by those who are retiring.”
In the construction plumbing program, students’ projects begin as blueprints, which they transform into real rooms, complete with pipes and fixtures, said construction instructor Kurt Boysen, a member of the Southern Westchester BOCES TA. “We learn all the aspects of construction: framing, carpentry, insulation, roofing, the codes, dealing with the environment.”
Boysen has been working at the high school level for five years, teaching students how to work with their hands and operate tools, but when it comes to these projects, the key to success is actually math, comprehending ratio and scale, he said. “We have to understand these things mathematically. I can't stress that enough. The most important knowledge they'll ever have is math,” Boysen said. “Once they get that concept, then they can make the change over.”
In the new HVAC program, instructor Moises Robles is introducing a new crop of high school students to the world of heating, air conditioning and ventilation, and not a moment too soon. According to legislation advanced by Gov. Kathy Hochul last year, all new buildings over seven stories will be required to be all-electric and make use of heat pumps instead of fossil fuels, which is expected to spur additional growth in the HVAC sector.
“These students are coming in at the right time,” said Robles. “They’re in the right place.”
For more CTE stories, visit: https://nysut.cc/CTE.
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