Career and Technical Education Department holds annual National Apprenticeship Week Fair
The New York State Department of Labor and various local trade unions set up tables at Mount Vernon High School to share available apprenticeships and opportunities with students. The Mount Vernon High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department held their annual National Apprenticeship Week Fair on Friday, November 17, 2023.
“This has shown me the benefits of being an electrician and the rest of the opportunities that come with it,” said Leu-Andre Hall, an eleventh grade student at MVHS. “I can go to school and get other benefits from it like interviews and other opportunities.”
Trade unions shared the various opportunities available to students out of high school. Many apprenticeships also allow students to attend trade school while working, and some even pay for it. Students from Rebecca Turner Academy and Mount Vernon STEAM Academy were also invited to attend the fair and learn about apprenticeships.
“The opportunities are amazing, more than any other school I’ve been to,” said Matthew Genius, a 12th grade student at MVHS. “They’re always doing things like this fair with jobs coming in, sharing resumes, getting hired on the spot and colleges coming in.”
Matthew would like to pursue a career in information technology (IT), and classes at MVHS have been preparing him for that. The District is also paying for his CompTIA, a vital certification in the IT industry.
Many of the students attending the fair have been taking CTE classes, and an apprenticeship would be the next step towards starting their career.
“The opportunities are endless,” said Jaime Larmon, work-based learning coordinator at MVHS. “They have the ability to basically walk out of high school with a 401k, medical benefits and the ability to have these unions pay for them to go to school. There are so many facets within the union, so the opportunities are endless as far as where they can go from starting as a journeyman to a full apprentice, which is a great thing. Some of these kids don’t know what they want to do for school, so, even if they don’t go down this road, this is just another option that they have.”
On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, the Mount Vernon City School District partnered with Aramark and the Masonic Progressive Lodge #64 of Mount Vernon in a Thanksgiving turkey drive. The drive provided a free full Thanksgiving meal to the members of the community.
Ndaba Mandela continues to follow in his grandfather, Nelson Mandela’s, footsteps and visited two Mount Vernon City School District schools to discuss how students can foster change in the world themselves on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.
Students at Mount Vernon Honor Academy rejoiced with one another as they celebrated Thanksgiving with a brunch before the holiday break on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. The feast included an assortment of food including bagels, sausages, muffins, pasta, complete with a charcuterie board and a sandwich station.
Students at Hamilton School gathered around to give thanks and appreciate one another before Thanksgiving break with a feast on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. The arrangement of food included turkey, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and various desserts brought by families from the school community.
Coach Robert Cimmino was inducted into the Westchester Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. Coach Cimmino received this recognition for his exceptional career coaching the Mount Vernon Knights varsity boys' basketball team.