Built to Work: How Ulster BOCES is Shaping Tomorrow’s Trades

Traditional high school isn't the only path to success—and the future of the Hudson Valley workforce is proving it.

In this audio feature from On The Level Magazine, CCA Executive Director Dan Depew takes us inside the jaw-dropping transformation happening at the Ulster BOCES Career Academies at iPark 87 in Kingston.

Once a dark IBM facility, this massive 100,000-square-foot state-of-the-art center is now fueling the next generation of builders, makers, and innovators. If you think vocational schools are a thing of the past, this episode will completely change your perspective.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The Death of the Desk: Why standing on your feet and getting hands-on is crushing traditional classroom boredom for local students.
• Million-Dollar Tech: A look inside the Gene Haas Lab, high-tech welding, aviation, and smart toolboxes that look straight out of sci-fi.
• Real Student Success: Meet Matt, James, and Cam—local students turning their passion into first-place national titles and fast-tracked, high-paying careers.
• The Hudson Valley Boom: How Ulster BOCES is preparing a powerhouse workforce for massive regional projects like Micron and IBM.

💼 Brought To You By:

• Featured Magazine: On The Level (The official publication of the Construction Contractor Association of the Hudson Valley)
• Proudly Sponsored By: [INSERT SPONSOR NAME HERE]
• Affiliates: SMACNA of Southeastern NY & FERA of the Hudson Valley

📌 Timestamps:

• 0:00 – Sponsor Spotlight & Introduction
• 0:45 – Reimagining the Old IBM Facility (iPark 87)
• 1:50 – Hands-On Learning vs. Traditional Classrooms
• 3:10 – The Tech: CNC Labs & Precision Engineering
• 4:25 – Meet the Students Shaping Tomorrow
• 5:40 – Closing Credits & Affiliates