You can’t coach speed – or can you?
This coach isn’t so sure. I recently cheered on a few dozen of our youngest Workforce Development participants as they raced specially built cars in the Batavia-Oakfield Soapbox Derby, and I also had the pleasure of welcoming our newest pre-apprentice graduating class, with 10 students now ready to enter the workforce.
Isn’t everyone a little faster now?
While I don’t believe I can coach someone to run a 4.2-second 40-yard dash, I am seeing many young people in Genesee County blazing their way through the ranks, producing memories and skills that will feed off of them throughout their professional careers.
That speed was on display at the 3rd Annual Batavia BID Box Car Derby, where 32 local kids raced down Ellicott Avenue in downtown Batavia, demonstrating their hands-on skills building their own box cars. Kids ages 7 to 10 built soapbox derby-style cars using a variety of parts, including axles, steering systems, brakes and fiberglass shells, showcasing their creativity and imagination with their amazing box car designs.
These events are special to me and I worked with the BID to revive the event three years ago. My father, Joseph, was the 1951 Box Car Derby champion at age 12. Each year the event is dedicated to my father, Joseph P. Suozzi, my brother, Patrick Suozzi and my sister, Theresa R. Suozzi Wormley.
Congratulations to this year’s Suozzi Memorial Plaque recipient, Kyle Mlyniec of the John Kennedy School!
Although there was only one winner, all participants applied skills and strategies they could apply to their educational and professional endeavors, leaving them with a strong foundation for successful, practical careers in the community that could potentially lead to high-paying careers.
While a younger generation of workforce professionals is racing across the finish line, a group of experienced students ages 18 and older are on their way to completing the Genesee Valley Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which equips them with job-ready skills from day one to enter manufacturing and skilled trades.
I liken their workforce to minor league baseball. There are up to four levels before you get to the major leagues. Up until that point, the focus is on development; there’s no focus on winning or losing. Managers and bosses want you to hone the skills that will get you a path to the major leagues.
The Genesee Valley Pre-Apprenticeship Program offers students the opportunity to hone their skills and gain valuable real-world experience. Just as minor league players hone their skills before making it to the major leagues, this is the time to gain more experience at the training facility, working towards a major league contract and putting them on the path to a well-earned career in mechatronics.
In just six weeks, participants in the Genesee Valley Pre-Apprenticeship Program gained valuable experience and worked toward a New York State registered apprenticeship. The training provided by instructor Rich Monroe and local employers at GV BOCES reduces the resources, time and capital companies must spend to prepare employees to contribute to the workforce. This “earn while you learn” program is funded by Genesee Community College and supported by the Rochester Technology & Manufacturing Association and GCEDC. You can be the next student to take advantage of this free opportunity. Visit www.gcedc.com/careerchecklist to access our free career checklist, which includes eight important steps to launch your professional career. If you are a student, parent, teacher or guidance counselor, please contact csuozzi@gcedc.com to learn how you can get involved. Join now!
– Chris “Coach SwazZ” Suozzi is executive vice president of business and workforce development for the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
