DOT Donation Puts BOCES Students in the Fast Lane to Increased Electrical Knowledge

SCHOHARIE – This donation won’t put a “stop” to the learning at the Career and Technical Education Center – Schoharie Campus, but perhaps it will encourage a “get up and go” attitude among the Electrical Trades students. 

All signals are pointing to a new type of electrical knowledge for the students in Curtis Van Steele’s program thanks to a donation from the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT).

DOT recently donated a surplus four-face traffic signal complete with a programmable logic controller (PLC) to the program.

Van Steele said that in addition to the signal, DOT also donated pedestrian and traffic sensors that activate the light. 

“The big thing with this is the PLC board and the ability it gives the students to work with the wiring and getting the connections to the sensors right and setting the various intervals for the lights to activate on,” said Van Steele.

During a recent class, seniors Jordan Barham, from Schoharie; Cody Coop, from Schalmont; and Bryce Mensing, from Duanesburg, were wiring the light.

“I think it’s great. It’s a new skill set we get to learn,” said Braham, who aspires to a career as a lineman.

There are 99 students enrolled this school year in the Electrical Trades program that is offered on the Schoharie and Albany Career and Technical Education campuses. Students in the two-year program learn fundamental skills in electrical theory through classroom instruction and hands-on work. They also learn basic electrical skills and cutting-edge, 21st-century green technologies—all of which prepares them for the in-demand field of electrical trades.

For more information on the program, visit https://www.capitalregionboces.org/career-technical-education/courses-programs/electrical-trades/.