SPENCERPORT, N.Y. — Career and Technical Education programs across the country are celebrating student achievements during CTE Month. It's all about highlighting the skills students are learning for some high-wage and in-demand career fields.

More than 1,100 public high schools across New York have CTE programs. BOCES 2 CTE in Spencerport has students from nine districts enrolled in 27 different programs.

What You Need To Know

  • Career and technical education (CTE) programs provide academic and technical instruction in the content areas of agriculture, business, marketing, family and consumer sciences, health sciences and more

  • BOCES 2 CTE has more than 25 programs to help meet the demand of skilled, high growth career fields

  • The American Welding Society says 90,000 jobs will need to be filled annually for the next few years to meet demand

Welders are in high demand. High school senior Dino Battisti knows all about the outlook of the welding workforce; that's why he's at CTE.

“Trades are in such high demand right now. Look around you. Everything is welded, bridges any kind of supports and railings. There is always going to be a need for these skills,” said Battisti.

The American Welding Society says 90,000 welding jobs will need to be filled every year for the next couple of years to keep up with the demand. That need includes iron and steel workers, welders, fabricators and fitters.

CTE welding instructor Josh Padlick says training in the skilled trades is critical to the future of the industry. The good news here is that his welding program is a popular one.

"It’s an awesome trade. It is an awesome career path to get into. COVID did a lot of bad in the world. However, I think COVID shined a light on the trades. A lot of people saw who was still working and who was needed and now the students are starting to come back. We need electricians. We need welders and masons. We need these people in the industry,” said Padlick.

Most of the students at CTE are career-ready when they graduate high school.

“They are definitely valuable, and even outside of welding they graduate and they become gainfully employed. A lot of them make between 50 and $70,000 at the age of 18,” said Padlick.

“It’s very easy to find jobs. There are a lot of openings. Companies are very willing to work with you and the pay looks really good. There’s a lot of opportunities,” said Battisti.

The variety of CTE programs available for high schoolers has grown. There is everything from carpentry to cosmetology, criminal justice, culinary arts and exercise science. Students are encouraged to check with their local CTE program for more information.