SANBORN — In a recent tour of the Voss Manufacturing facility, Orleans-Niagara BOCES Adult Education Coordinator Maureen Bartlett and Niagara Career and Technical Education Center Work-Based Learning Coordinator Lori Graves saw the results of the longstanding relationship between BOCES and Voss.
“We have a long history of training high school students and introducing them to jobs,” Bartlett said. “We also offer four-month machining and welding training for adults in our Niagara Falls location. Places like Voss employ over 100 people, and we can train adults to get started in these kinds of advanced manufacturing careers.”
Orleans/Niagara BOCES offers training to adults in its facility in downtown Niagara Falls.
Four-month classes in welding and machining are both enrolling now for a Jan. 27, 2025 start.
Over the years, numerous former Orleans/Niagara BOCES students have gone on to have long and successful careers in the welding and machining fields following their graduation from the program, including Voss Manufacturing.
While on the tour, Bartlett and Graves met a number of former BOCES students, some of whom have worked for the three-generation family-owned company for years.
As a part of their education, those students had the opportunity to directly work, learn and gain valuable hands-on experience in the manufacturing of products and welding under professionals from local companies such as Voss.
“Voss manufactures high-precision tooling and machines for making ‘fins’ for the heat exchanger industry,” Engineering and Development Manager Dan Yousett explained. “Voss fin machines and tooling are world-renowned for their long-term durability and reliability with customers all over the globe. Voss also does contract manufacturing of component parts and subassemblies for many manufacturers nationwide. For many years, Orleans/Niagara BOCES has provided the skilled trades training for local employees that Voss needs to continue to grow and develop as a premier employer in our region.”
For more information on the upcoming welding and machining classes for adults, go to https://wnytrades.com/programs/machining/ or call 716-731-6800, extension 4423.