CCHS student Travis Sperry is mixing some personal interest with his latest project at the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical School. Sperry, a junior from Colonie Central High School, is an aspiring contractor who chose the Building Trades program on the Albany Career and Technical School campus to achieve that goal. During a break in his current curriculum, he utilized some recent downtime to make a wooden baseball bat from scratch.
According to Travis, it was the perfect opportunity. “I got all my projects done, so why not? I like baseball, I like to play baseball, so why not make a bat?,” Sperry said while working a lathe to shape a block of wood into a bat shape.
Sperry is one of 30 students currently enrolled in the Building Trades program. Students learn through standardized craft training programs developed by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and gain valuable experience through on- and off-campus projects. In addition, participating students discover items related to safety, green construction, reading blueprints along with receiving extensive training in home energy efficiency.
Students who pass the written exams and performance tests gain a portable skill set and may earn NCCER certifications, which are recognized by contractors and employers across the country.
Learn more about the Building Trades program here.