Recently, 38 Cohoes High School sophomores toured the Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education (CTE) Center in Albany to explore potential career interests.
The tour began mid-morning with a brief presentation by counselor Cosimo Tangorra who gave students an overview of the facility and spoke about the new one-year programs for the 2026-27 school year – Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Sterile Processing Tech, Plumbing, and Emerging Technologies. Also new is Heavy Equipment Repair & Operation (two-year program).
Before students branched off to explore the programs of choice, they were advised to be observant of their surroundings, ask questions and think about how the program will benefit their future careers.
The programs included: Automotive Trades Technology, Building Trades, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts & Hospitality, Digital Media Design, Early Childhood Education, Electrical Trades, Game Design & Implementation, Health Careers, HVAC, Pet Tech, and Welding & Metal Fabrication.
Students spent about an hour in each classroom, learning about the program, gaining insight from current students and participating in hands-on learning.
Sophomore Lindsey Halme, who has always had an interest in hair, visited the cosmetology classroom and came away inspired after learning a wide range of skills, from hair parting to how to use curlers.
“The hands-on experience and expert guidance helped me understand what I want to do with my career path. I’m very excited for the future opportunities at BOCES, which has fueled my desire for cosmetology so I can build a career in this creative field,” she said
Touring the automotive trades program also reinforced Lorenzo Rodriquez’s desire to apply to the program. He spent time talking one-on-one with Teacher Assistant Scott Hamel, learning what the program entails and what the expectations are for students.
“It was really fun to come here and see what the place looks like,” said Lorenzo. “The teacher was really nice and gave a lot of really good information, which definitely helped me make the decision to come here next year and pursue a career in the auto industry.”
Enrollment is currently underway for the 2026-27 school year. Visit Capital Region BOCES website for more information on career and technical school programs
Albany CTE is hosting an Open House on March 5 from 5:30pm-7pm that is open to the public. Albany CTE (Main Campus and Extension Center) is located at 925B Watervliet Shaker Road, Albany.