SSCS senior Breanna Parrotti works on a plumbing project at BOCES CTE in Schoharie.
Sharon Springs senior Breanna Parrotti was one of about a dozen students who got a taste of the plumbing industry this fall courtesy of experts from UA Local 7, Plumbers and Steamfitters union.
Studying in the Building Trades program on the Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education Center – Schoharie Campus, Parrotti learned the basics of plumbing, including PVC draining/vent fittings, basic plumbing code, plumbing math, jobsite safety and how to install a sink.
She and her fellow CTE classmates including SSCS junior Rosa Brown, who we featured earlier in the school year, said they appreciate the ability to learn a new skill set and value the opportunities it affords them.
“These are great skills to learn because it’s something I can use in real life,” Parrotti said. “Even if I don’t become a plumber, I can still install my own sink.”
During one part of the plumbing lesson this month, students leveled and connected PVC pipes within a frame of a wall that then led to a sink they installed.
“These guys did great,” said Tom Carrigan, President and Marketing Director for UA Local 7, Plumbers and Steamfitters. “We are here to get kids interested in the plumbing trades. I was pretty impressed with everything they are doing. It’s gratifying to see the kids really want to do something. There isn’t one student standing around here.”
BOCES works with more than 300 business, education and labor partners—such as Local 7—to provide training and career opportunities to the 1,200 students enrolled in Career & Technical Education programs at Capital Region BOCES.
