We are just days from the start of the football season, but there’s already another training camp underway!

The Buffalo Bills return to the field on July 23^rd for a training camp to prepare for the upcoming season. It’s only the start of their year, but the Bills will quickly know which players have dedicated time to developing their skills this offseason. They are the ones who can be counted on to continue to grow and succeed.

For our local employers, there’s no mystery who will stand out as ready for success. This year’s Genesee Valley Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp participants are rookies in workforce training camps for welding and mechatronics careers.

Thanks to the partnership of the Rochester Technology Manufacturing Association, Genesee Valley BOCES, Genesee Community College, the Genesee County Career One Stop, and the GCEDC, these students are getting ahead of the competition, training in and out of the classroom, and taking control of their workforce journeys. And just a few weeks in, these students are already doing the work to show their skills.

Our largest turnout of students from Genesee County and surrounding communities will have six weeks of PAID on-the-job training with companies like Oxbo, Graham Corporation, Triton Mechanical, and Tambe among others.

After a morning in the classroom utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and instruction from welding instructor Andrew Geyer or mechatronics instructor Rich Monroe, students go to their matched employers to gain hands-on experience in a career.

As a coach, I love to see both the active education and training that happen in the morning sessions.

From overviews of manufacturing and skilled trades basics to students using training modules and welding stations, there is no time wasted in this program.

In just six weeks, these students will gain 96 hours of classroom instruction towards a certificate of completion to become a registered apprentice.

Since 2021, we have had dozens of students graduate from the Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp and many of those graduates have gone on to registered apprenticeship programs with their partnering employers.

Careers in electro-mechanical and welding trades are in demand across the country and here in Genesee County. Hundreds more will be coming as companies grow organically and major expansions by Graham and Oxbo, along with Edwards Vacuum are all underway.

We are building the pipeline for these careers and preparing our trainees for good-paying careers available right in their own backyards. 

If you are interested to learn how you can spark career interest and exploration for your child or recent graduate, visit www.gcedc.com/careerchecklist to access our free career checklist, featuring eight essential steps to jumpstart a professional journey.

If you are a student, parent, teacher, or guidance counselor, contact me at [email protected] to learn how to get involved today!

Go Bills!