On Tuesday, April 1, the Center for Workforce Development (CWD) held its first TradeUP event. This event is an exciting opportunity for high school seniors curious about careers in the skilled trades.
Students heard from a panel of seven industry experts in construction, manufacturing, and healthcare, who shared why the trades are a valuable and rewarding career path. Topics included:
- How trades compare to four-year colleges
- What it takes to succeed in the field
- Union vs. non-union jobs
- In-demand careers in our region
Families then toured CWD's in-session adult training programs at the WEMOCO CTE Center, seeing real-world skills in action from programs like construction, manufacturing, transportation and healthcare.
Students left inspired, informed, and equipped with information on low- to no-cost training options to jumpstart their futures.
A special thank you to the panelists: Tyrone Reaves (YAMTEP), Joseph Morelle (UNICON), Mike Zale (Ogden Town Supervisor), Jason Millington (IBEW Local 86/CWD), Keri Martin (RTMA), Kerry Perry (Batavia Family Dental/CWD), and Jared Radesi (Livingston Associates); and to the moderator, Melanie Russo (Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce) for sharing their time and valuable insights.