Aspiring welder and BH-BL HS senior Preston Heidelmark heats up his future career outlook while completing an assignment during a Welding and Metal Fabrication program class recently at the Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education Center where also takes courses.
Heidelmark plans to follow his father’s footsteps and enter the welding union when he graduates in June. ( Photo: Heidelmark welds a plate in one of the dozens of booths provided to Capital Region BOCES career and technical education welding students. )
He credits Capital Region BOCES with teaching him all he needs to know to launch a career and build his knowledge.
“I like that I can do what I feel like and work with my hands and learn valuable skills at BOCES,” said Heidelmark. “It’s rewarding seeing the finished product and knowing I made it.”
Heidelmark is among approximately five dozen students enrolled this school year in the Capital Region BOCES Welding and Metal Fabrication program. Students in the two-year program learn American Welding Society standards and earn certifications that prepare them for a career in the welding industry. Located on the Albany Campus this school year, the program is being expanded to the Schoharie Campus for the start of the 2024-25 school year to address the increasing demand among students.
For more information on the Welding and Metal Fabrication program, go to https://www.capitalregionboces.org/career-technical-education/courses-programs/welding-metal-fabrication/.