Dutchess BOCES’ Career and Technical Institute welcomed high school sophomores from Pine Plains and Webutuck Feb. 10 as CTI continues to offer tours to 10th graders interested in learning a trade in their junior and senior years of high school.
CTI began orientation tours for current 10th graders in late January and will continue the tours through March.
“We want to give a clear understanding of what BOCES is and that it’s a solid option for their future,” said CTI school counselor Kirstin Litwin. “It can really help them be prepared for the next phase of life.”
Litwin and school counselor Deanna Pillius prepared a presentation for students at the start of the visit that included introductions of CTI administrators. Jason Imperiale discussed the work-based learning program, which features internships in a student’s senior year and employment after completing the program.
CTI student Noah Browne spoke to the sophomores about SkillsUSA and Victoria Kirsch, president of CTI’s National Technical Honor Society, talked with students about the NTHS.
CTI student ambassadors took the sophomores on a tour of the school that included stops at two classrooms with trades that interest the visiting 10th graders.
Syles Cole, Caelan Brennan and Francisco Jimenez were among the 19 Pine Plains students touring CTI. All three visited the electric and HVAC classes.
“I learned there’s a lot of programs and things they do for students aspiring to be professionals,” said Cole.
Brennan added, “You could make a lot of money doing the trades and the internships help you get a good job. I’m looking forward to it.”
Jimenez said he plans to come back and study electric.
“We can get big opportunities to become professionals here,” he said.
Pine Plains school counselor Ryan Carney visits sophomore English classes at his school to discuss what CTI offers and gives students the opportunity to register for the CTI tour.
“We let them know it’s a way to get hands-on experience into something they may want to do as a career in the real world,” he said. “If you know for sure you want to be electrician, this is a real good opportunity to graduate high school, start working right away, make good money and meet people from other school districts.”
Emma Sprague was among the 22 Webutuck students on the tour. The sophomore hopes to be back to study in the nursing program.
“I really liked it,” she said of CTI and the nursing program. “I really hope I can do it. It just depends on my classes.”