Interest in career and technical education programs is on the rise in Oswego County and educators are working to meet the demand.
Partnering with local businesses and higher education institutions, Oswego County’s CiTi BOCES is trying to meet higher demands for career pathway programs. Brian Heffron, administrator of workforce development and community relations for CiTi BOCES, said this year’s interest is unprecedented.
“Many of our career tech education programs are at max capacity, we have waiting lists for enrollment, our early college high school program, PTECH, experienced a record number of applications this year, we are adding new pathways across multiple different areas to meet the demands of the students who are interested in these programs,” Hefforn said.
Heffron said there are a number of reasons more students are enrolling in tech ed, including growth in local manufacturing and a shift in how tech careers are viewed.
“That narrative stigma of career tech pathways leading to dead-end jobs in dying fields is really being finally replaced with the true reality that there are students who are pursuing these pathways who, at a very early age, are finding rewarding careers that they are able to really build their lives forward on,” Heffron said.
More than half of students in CTE and PTECH programs complete their education and immediately enter into the workforce. With programs coming in at little to no cost, Heffron said the barriers to achieving that job readiness are lower, making it even easier for students to begin their careers.
“We want to be able to provide students with an opportunity to earn jobs, to earn these careers to find themselves and establish roots that are going to contribute to the growth of the communities here in Oswego County,” Heffron said.
