726 Hudson Valley Youths Learn Job Skills At 24th Annual Construction Career Day
The 24th Annual Hudson Valley Construction Career Day "Parents Night" held at Rockland Community College on Thurs., March 27. More than 725 students, drawing from 33 high schools in six counties, attended the full-day expo the following day on Friday at the college's Fieldhouse in Suffern, NY. The event was sponsored by the Construction Industry Council and the Building Contractors Association.
SUFFERN, NY— Hundreds of local high school students met with experts in the Building Trades to engage in skill-development activities and to learn more about dozens of job opportunities at the premier industry-sponsored career exposition in the Hudson Valley.
Students from six counties filled the Rockland Community College Fieldhouse here in Suffern on March 28, to gain firsthand experience of the craft trades and discuss the advantages of apprenticeship training. Representatives of 19 Union organizations and four private-sector companies from across the Hudson Valley region worked with the teens to take part in discussions and give hands-on, skill-building demonstrations that included welding, carpentry, soldering, commercial driving, masonry and heavy machinery operations.
Hosted by the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc., (CIC) and the Building Contractors Association of Westchester & The Mid-Hudson Region, Inc., (BCA) the annual Hudson Valley Construction Career Day is designed to reinvigorate the industry’s labor force with young talent. The event
marked the 24th year of supporting tomorrow’s workforce. This year’s Construction Career Day attracted 726 students from 33 high schools and learning centers, hailing from Rockland, Sullivan, Orange, Ulster as well as Westchester Putnam and Dutchess. According to the exit data and school registrations, approximately 20% of the students were female and more than 60 percent were listed as minority.
“Apprenticeships offer youths an opportunity to learn critical skills in the trades and prepare them to land good-paying jobs right in their own communities,” said Matthew Pepe, executive director of the CIC and BCA. “We’re now experiencing significant investments in infrastructure at both the federal and state levels, which will mean even more opportunities for growth in our region’s building and construction industries. We’re proud to be a part of this important effort to strengthen our workforce, invest in our communities and benefit our overall economy.”
Rockland County Executive Ed Day praised the Construction Career Day program. “I am proud to again be here hosting Construction Career Day,” he said. “All too often, schools put value on college and don’t put good value on the trades. The trades offer tremendous options for our young people.”
Also in attendance and expressing strong support for the campaign were U.S. Congressman Mike Lawler (CD-17), New York State Sen. Shelley Mayer and Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne as well as representatives from the New York State Department of Labor.
Registered apprenticeship programs provide participants with high-quality, portable and nationally recognized credentials that certify occupational proficiency in the building and construction trades.
Programs follow a “learn-while-you-earn” model, as participants obtain wages that increase as the apprentice accumulates greater skills and experience on the job in their particular craft or technical trade.
Students looking to qualify for bona fide apprenticeship opportunities will be expected to have a high school diploma or equivalent GED. There are more than 20 skill trades represented among the building and construction trade unions. For information about apprenticeship programs and job opportunities, visit www.cicbca.org/resources.
Published: April 2, 2025.
‘New Collar’ Jobs of the Future
Speakers at the Hudson Valley Construction Career Day at Rockland Community College on March 28 extolled the opportunities available through Union Apprenticeship training programs. From left, Allison Bashkoff of the Workforce Development Institute, Marty Sommer of NYS Union Teachers, New York Sen. Shelley Mayer, Jenifer Puja of the Westchester/Putnam Central Labor Body AFL-CIO, Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne, Rockland County Executive Ed Day, Dr. Scott Kalicki of Rockland Community College, Lou Picani of Teamsters L.U. 456, Matt Pepe of the BCA, Chief of Staff John Mulgrew of Sen. Bill Weber’s office, U.S. Congressman Mike Lawler, Mary Jane Bertram of the Workforce Development Institute, Labor Leader Maria Kercado, Deborah Thomas of the Rockland County Workforce Development Board and H.V. Construction Career Day Coordinator Lucy Redzeposki.