Ulster Chamber to Hear BOCES Superintendent

Ulster BOCES Superintendent Dr. Charles Khoury will bring local business leaders up to date when he speaks at the next breakfast meeting of the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce. The breakfast is scheduled from 7:30-9 a.m. on Dec. 13 at the Best Western Plus in Kingston. His theme will be “Training Students for 21st Century Jobs.” Health Quest is the sponsor.
Dr. Khoury said Ulster BOCES offers a host of challenging technical and academic programs to train the workers of tomorrow. “The infusion of technology in virtually every field is changing the way the world does business,” Khoury says. “So all of our courses have an infusion of technology. Kids are well-prepared and well-schooled in what’s current practice. We meet with industry partners on an annual basis. They review our programs to make sure that we’re current.”
Khoury said BOCES offers 26 career preparation programs in consultation with local business leaders, including the Council of Industry. “Then we make sure that we backward design programs so that when kids graduate from our programs, that they’re properly prepared with the basic skills to go in and work in those settings right away,” he said.
Khoury said some people may have misconceptions about vocational schools, but their programs have evolved in the last 10 years and are “much more significant in the preparation of the workforce.” “That’s not the old vocational school that people probably identify with the ‘60s and ‘70s and ‘80s. This is a highly technical place, where kids learn advanced skills and problem solving. Our kids are well-prepared to do all of that.”
Chamber breakfast programs are a great way to network with other local business leaders and stay on top of current events. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged for chamber members and the general public. For more information or to register, call the Chamber at (845) 338-5100 or go online at www.UlsterChamber.org.