New P-TECH program offers free degree in construction trades
A consortium of Western New York businesses and schools have teamed up for a new initiative that will set middle school students on a path to earn a free associate degree.
The new P-TECH BUILD (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) offers an opportunity to incoming ninth-grade students in the Cheektowaga area to continue their educational journey with a focus on construction trades. The six-year program will result in a Technical Endorsed Regents Diploma and a college degree at no cost, with direct access to in-demand, STEM-related careers in the local area.
Students who enroll in P-TECH BUILD will be given rigorous high school and college coursework with embedded work-based learning. The program helps students build partnerships for future opportunities.
P-TECH BUILD is being launched thanks to a $2.7 million grant from New York State. Program partners include Erie 1 BOCES, SUNY Erie Community College, Cheektowaga Central School District, Cheektowaga-Sloan Union Free School District, Cleveland Hill Union Free School District, Depew Union Free School District, Maryvale Union Free School District and numerous construction and electrical businesses.
For more information on P-TECH, email Lori Smith at lmsmith@e1b.org.