High school senior Kentrell Bryant has solidified his future plans thanks to the Capital Region BOCES.

The Sharon Springs student is enrolled in the Building Trades program at the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center – Schoharie Campus.

There, he is learning the construction industry through a standardized craft training program developed by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) while gaining valuable experience through on- and off-campus projects.

“It’s a great program,” he said, while taking a break from practicing masonry. “Really good. I want to start my own business one day working with wood and building houses.”

Bryant plans to launch his own contracting business and said a CTE education gave him the tools necessary to do so.

“The skills you learn here are great,” he said.

Additionally, he said, learning by doing meets his educational needs.

“I am a hands-on learner,” Bryant added. “To me, it’s much better being shown how to do something and then doing it as opposed to just being talked to.”

Offered at the Schoharie and Albany CTE campuses, the Building Trades program is training approximately 90 students from more than a dozen school districts this year.