Career & Technical Education

Apprenticeships, Training & Union Information

Please click on the link below to view helpful information about apprenticeships, training and unions.

Northland Workforce Training Center (NWTC), located in Buffalo, is housed in a state-of-the-art facility that offers for-credit, certificate and degree programs through educational partners SUNY Alfred State College and SUNY Erie (ECC).

NWTC currently offers a 1-year Certificate Program in Mechatronics, and a 2-year Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET). Also offered is an Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS) taught by SUNY Erie and three, 2-year Associate of Occupational Science Degree (AOS) programs: Machine Tool Technology (MTT), Welding Technology, and Electrical Construction & Maintenance Electrician (ECME) taught by Alfred State College. Click on this link for more information: https://northlandwtc.org/

Buffalo/Niagara Building Trades Council

The member unions of the Buffalo/Niagara Building Trades Council offer apprenticeships in the construction trade industry. They train individuals to become highly-skilled, highly-paid construction workers without incurring any debt. These apprenticeships place participants on the path to receiving high wages, health care coverage, and retirement benefits from day one. Scan the QR codes in the link provided to find out more information about the different trades/skills offered:

Buffalo/Niagara Building Trades Council QR Codes

ORMSBY AND HARKNESS PROGRAM INFORMATION

Sophomores: Here is the link to all of the Ormsby vocational programs available your junior year & senior year: Ormsby Interactive Program Information

If there is a program at the Harkness Center that Ormsby does not offer, you may also register for those: https://www.e1b.org/en/k-12-education-programs/high-school-programs.aspx

Erie 1 BOCES (Harkness, Potter Road) will be hosting a Career and Tech Open House on Thursday, September 25 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity for Sophomore students and families to meet instructors, explore classrooms, and learn more about the CTE programs offered through Erie 1 BOCES. Beginning junior year, students are able to participate in programs such as Dental Lab Tech, Baking & Pastry Arts, Video Production & Recording Arts, Fashion Design Technology, HVAC, and more. Click here to explore Erie 1 BOCES: www.e1b.org

Erie 2 BOCES (Ormsby) will be hosting an Open House Event on Thursday, October 9, 2025, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The W.D. Ormsby Center, located at 1010 Center Street, East Aurora, offers students the opportunity to take programs such as Health Careers, Conservation/Natural Resources, Welding, Power Equipment Technology, Small Animal Science, and more, beginning their junior year of high school. Please click on the link below for more information about Ormsby: ormsby-educational-center

FAQ
Fact Sheet

FAQ

Ormsby Video Presentation

Click here for additional Ormsby videos by program

Harkness Video Presentations
(we only send juniors & seniors to Harkness if there is a program that Ormsby does not offer - attending during the junior year may affect sports after school).

New Visions (senior year only):

Precision Manufacturing and Engineering

Connections - Health Careers

Legal Academy

Zoo Wildlife and Conservation

What is CTE (video) - Click HERE

What are Career & Technical Education Programs?

Career & Technical Education Programs are one- and two-year programs offered to high school juniors and seniors by the Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES in nearly 15 different career areas. Students enrolled in CTE Programs spend part of the school day at one of the four Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES educational centers with students from other school districts studying and experiencing a specialized field of their choice in a hands-on instructional environment.

Can I participate in a Career & Technical Education Program while earning my Regent's Diploma?

Yes! Our programs are approved by the New York State Department of Education, which makes it possible to do both. Through the integration of academics in each of our approved Career & Technical Education programs, students enrolled can earn CTE credit that will satisfy a core academic requirement in English language arts, math and science. Students meeting all requirements of two-year CTE programs, including successful completion of the practical and written assessment, will receive a Technical Endorsement on their Regents Diploma.

Why enroll in a Career & Technical Education Program?

Earn More Than Just A Regents Diploma: Since students can graduate from a Career & Technical Education Program with a high school diploma and a CTE endorsement, they can begin their careers immediately after graduating, pursue those career paths further, or move on to other post-secondary educational opportunities with valuable experience and skills, not to mention an expanded resume.

Experience An Applied, Integrated & Specialized Curriculum: CTE programs augment academic development with real-life applications. In a CTE program, students get hands-on experience and apply the academic skills they are developing in the classroom to solve practical, real-world problems.

Participate in Work-Based Internships Specific To Each Program: Students in CTE programs participate in off-campus, work-based internships related to their programs, earning them valuable experience, work-place competencies, and the knowledge and skills they will need to be successful later in life.

Obtain Certifications & Licenses While Building An Employment Profile: Students can earn valuable certifications and licenses, which provide applicants with a powerful advantage over their competition when applying for jobs or post-secondary education opportunities. Students also receive an Employment Profile that documents their achievements, knowledge, skills, certifications, and licenses, which can also give them an edge against the competition.

Get A Head Start On College: Through articulation agreements and concurrent enrollment programs, CTE students can receive high school and college credit at the same time, thus getting a head start on their post-secondary education.

Fact Sheet

The Ormsby Educational Center located in East Aurora offers a variety of two year programs providing instruction in entry level skills to juniors and seniors in high school.

Career and Technical students spend a half day at their high school taking academic course work and a half day at the Ormsby Educational Center taking their Career and Technical course work.

Career/Tech programs provide graduation credit for a Career/Tech sequence toward a high school diploma. For students with scheduling conflicts, approved Career/Technical programs also offer integrated academic subjects in math, science, technical writing and Career & Financial Management for additional high school diploma credit.

Certificates of Completion are given to students successfully completing their program. Students enrolled in an approved Career/Tech program can earn a Regents or local diploma with a Career/Technical Education endorsement.

Additional benefits offered through Career and Technical programs:
- Technical endorsement seal on their high school regents diploma
- College credit through articulation agreements
- Resume instruction
- Remediation and test taking assistance
- Work experience programs
- Guest speakers and field trips to employment sites
- Employment certifications
- Student Organizations such as: FFA, Explorers, HOSA, National Technical Honor Society and Skills USA