Later this year, OCM BOCES and Marquardt Switches Inc., a manufacturing and engineering plant in Cazenovia, are partnering up to start a new student technology program to give high school students a working engineering experience.

Isabella Kremers is a high school student. She is here with an open mind.

“I don’t have any plan for the future," she said. "I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up so knowing that, potentially I would be good at this, I want to learn more.”

Kremers says math and science have always been easy for her, consistently getting A-plus grades. Because of that, her dad suggested engineering as a possible career path. However, its complicated.

“If you do google engineering online, it's super vague because there’s so many different sub-categories that do vasty different things," said Kremers. "I figured that this program could be a good way to learn more about it."

It's a two-year engineering technology program. It will allow high school students to work next to professionals at Marquardt’s North American headquarters southeast of Syracuse. With the high technology industry expanding quickly, the need and want for this is a perfect match.

“There is an interest in engineering within our region and on top of that there will be jobs especially with the expanding economy in Central New York," said Eric Comtois, director of career and technical support at OCM BOCES.

Comtois says this program allows students to build foundational learning and will keep them a step ahead over others. After the open house, Kremers thinks this is a good next step in her journey.

“I think it would be a really great way to learn more inside the world of engineers and see what they do and help better myself for a future career," she said.