Twenty-four brave students from across Dutchess County recently embarked on a four year journey, starting their ninth grade year as Dutchess BOCES Pathways in Early College High School (P-TECH) students. These pioneers are the first cohort to enter the program, which will allow them to earn their high school diploma and an applied associate degree in electrical technology in just four years.“I find electrical technology interesting because tech is part of our everyday lives. It’s so fascinating how something so small can be so complex and have so many functions,” shared Camila Juarez from the Poughkeepsie City School District. “I know that if I put in the effort in this program, I will be able to have a better future.
”The program is housed at Roy C. Ketcham High School in the Wappingers Central School District for students’ freshman and sophomore years. During junior and senior years, students will take Dutchess Community College courses at DCC's Fishkill Center of Excellence for Industry and Innovation, and will complete any outstanding high school courses at Roy C. Ketcham.
In addition to taking their core classes, students are taking Drawing and Design Principles this year with Kevin Yahn. Through his course, Yahn hopes to “give them a foundation as they move forward in the program.”
“They’re very eager to learn. Right now, we’re practicing drafting which is important in any technical career.” Later in the year, students will gain experience with hand tools and computer drawing.
Some courses students can take at DCC include DC Circuits, Intro to Programming for Automation, AC and Electronic Circuits, Pneumatics, Hydraulics, and Mechanical Drives, Digital Fundamentals and more.
“I was already looking to do something hands-on with electricity, so when I heard about this program, it seemed like a great early pathway to get a well-paying job,” shared Cooper Hoffman from the Arlington Central School District. Hoffman described the P-TECH program in three words: opportunity, accelerated and unique.
Deputy Superintendent Jodi DeLucia is excited about the new program.
“It will be a heavy workload for these kids, but it’s worth it. There are amazing opportunities being afforded through the program and we are really dedicated to their success,” she said. “This is the first time in New York State that this opportunity is available in just four years. All other P-TECHs that exist in the state are six year opportunities, where students have to complete their associate degree after they leave high school.”
With a $2.95 million New York State P-TECH grant over five years, the goal is to be a model and secure additional funding to continue the program after the grant is complete.
“We are extremely proud to host the P-TECH program. This is a tremendous partnership between Dutchess BOCES, Dutchess Community College and the Council for Industry, as well as all of the component school districts within Dutchess County,” shared Wappingers Central School District Superintendent Dwight Bonk. “We’ve seen that there are a number of employment opportunities in this area and it’s our responsibility to be part of the workforce development solution by preparing students for these opportunities.”
Before starting the school year, students attended a summer bridge program at the Dutchess BOCES Conference Center.
“I got to learn about a lot of new people and we did team bonding activities,” shared Khristian Diaz. “We have a lot of similarities that help us connect with each other,” Juarez shared.
In addition to meeting each other and learning about the program, students took field trips to Onsemi, a semiconductor manufacturing company and industry partner, as well as DCC.
“We heard an Onsemi intern from DDC tell us about his experience. It was inspiring to hear about what he’s learned. To see people that are succeeding after learning what we will learn gives me hope that we can also do the same,” Diaz said.
“How exciting is it that these young men and women are learning that this is a pathway for them? It’s never too early to talk about your future and what you want to do,” shared Principal David Seipp.
“We finish high school and our associate degree in just four years. It’s an opportunity not a lot of people get and I’m really grateful,” Diaz said.