GOSHEN – Orange-Ulster BOCES is recognizing February as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, which spotlights the programs that equip students with industry standard skills and clear pathways to rewarding, well-paying careers.
With two CTE campuses in Goshen, CTE gives high school students hands-on experience in a wide range of high-demand industries – from digital cinema and aviation to pharmacy technician and culinary and beyond. CTE students can explore career options; build technical expertise, professional certifications, and real-world confidence that employers, colleges, and military branches actively seek.
“We’re excited about all the opportunities our Career and Technical Education programs provide,” said the OUB Chief Operating Officer Deborah McBride Heppes. “OUB offers a fabulous range of programs, and we work hard to make sure our programming is aligned with emerging workforce needs, especially those right here in the Hudson Valley.”
Over the coming weeks, hundreds of students from OUB’s component school districts will visit OUB’s campuses to tour facilities, meet industry teachers, and explore the wide variety of CTE pathways available to them. Students enrolled at OUB spend half of their school day at their high school and the other half actively engaged in hands-on professional training.
“BOCES was truly the best decision I made in high school,” said Arianna LeCruise, a 2024 graduate of the OUB Fashion and Interior Design Program and Pine Bush High School. “It gave me confidence, allowed me to explore my interests without fear of failure, and prepared me for the realities of college and the fashion industry,” she said.
LeCruise is now pursuing her bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising at Marist University.
For Emily Perricelli, a Dental Careers student from Minisink Valley Central School District, her time at OUB has been about more than technical training; it has been a place to develop and expand her leadership skills. “Not only was I elected president of my class, but I was also selected as a student board member to represent students at OUB.”
Emily’s growth inside the classroom has been matched by industry experience. “I have an internship position at Dr. Lackee’s Dental office that I truly enjoy. My clinical experiences as a part of my program at BOCES has helped me make the decision to continue my education at SUNY Orange to pursue their dental hygiene program.”