Photo by Steve Ognibene
The students matched with apprenticeship programs from local companies are all "first-round draft picks," said Chris Souzzi, VP of business and workforce development for the Genesee County Economic Development Center, on Tuesday at a signing celebration.
The event was held at the Best Center on the campus of Genesee Community College to celebrate high school juniors and seniors participating in the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeships Program.
The participants are first-round picks, Souzzi said, "because they really are great prospects for our future."
Juniors in the program engage in job shadows, and seniors are eligible for paid co-op apprenticeships with participating companies.
Matches were announced Tuesday for more than 30 students and 10 companies from the region.
“The Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program is proud to connect students from the Batavia BOCES’ electro-mechanical and metal trades programs to advanced manufacturing companies for paid co-ops and job shadows,” said Rich Turner, RTMA Director of Workforce Development. “Through FLYAP, high school juniors and seniors are receiving real on-the-job experience paired with state-of-the-art classroom training which prepares them for in-demand careers in advanced manufacturing.”
The Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program was created in 2018 by the Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association (RTMA) in partnership with Monroe Community College (MCC). The program is the first of its kind in New York State and is supported by the RTMA, MCC, RG&E Foundation and Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. The Genesee County Economic Development Center is also a FLYAP Gold Sponsor and assists the program with business recruitment.
In its fifth school year, FLYAP has connected more than 650 students to nearly 150 businesses throughout the greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region. FLYAP students have also received credit for more than 500 college classes at no cost to them, their schools or their families.
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Photos by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene
