‘Taste of the Trades’ Summer Program Graduates Inaugural Class

Twenty rising high school seniors from NYSERDA-designated underserved school districts spent seven weeks of their summer immersing themselves in hands-on learning experiences designed to prepare them for careers in fields such as construction and energy transmission. The students are the inaugural class of the “A Taste of the Trades” program, offered by Stony Brook University in collaboration with Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Suffolk County Community College, and the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing, and Consumer Affairs.

Nearly 50 family members, school district administrators, and business leaders gathered at the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT) on August 22 to celebrate the program’s graduates. Student groups presented descriptions of their experiences and received diplomas indicating their completion of the program. 

“These students may be the next generation of energy infrastructure workforce, perhaps as a few mechanical engineers, maybe some welders, definitely a few future trade electricians and at least one community engagement director for an offshore wind developer,” said Derek O’Connor, workforce development manager for SBU Economic Development. “Throughout the program, they all have been made aware of these endless opportunities to continue learning, keep engaging with professionals and what pathway and off ramp they embark upon next year and beyond.”

Students expressed that the program introduced them to careers and facilities that will impact their future.

Students received diplomas indicating their completion of the program.

“The mentors at BNL were life-changing for me. We took tours of labs that people come from all over the world to use, and It’s 15 minutes away from me and I had no idea,” said Jannat Majid, a student at Bellport High School. “Being able to connect with professors and scientists and get an insight into what my future could look like was so cool, because I had no idea about all of these options. We learned how to do interviews and how to shake someone’s hand, and I feel like I am leaving here with so many more skills.”

For many students, the hands-on activities were insightful, and made them realize that a career in an office isn’t for them. “The program made me reconsider my future plans, because originally I just wanted computer sciences, but now I want something more hands-on, because I tend to like those experiences in the program, and experimenting with different things,” said Nicole Alvarado, from Bellport High School. “The program really is making me consider different options and trades that I could choose, ones that I didn’t know about before.”

Demarco Campbell, a student at William Floyd High School, echoed Alvarado’s sentiments. “My favorite part was the welding, which was so hands-on. I now want to become an underwater welder.” Campbell credits the program for introducing him to the underwater welding trade.

As part of the seven-week training experience, students were paid $16 per hour and worked four hours each day, immersing themselves in hands-on learning experiences designed to prepare them for careers in fields such as construction, clean-energy production and infrastructure development, and to job prospects supporting the green economy.

Students deliver a group presentation.

The curriculum was divided into three key areas. For two weeks, students delved into solar power and energy storage at BNL, gaining insight into cutting-edge technologies that are essential to the future of sustainable energy. They then spent another two weeks at Stony Brook, where they explored offshore wind energy and the fundamentals of power-grid operations, critical components in the transition to cleaner energy sources. Their Stony Brook time culminated with a NYSERDA-led Offshore Wind Open House and Apprenticeship Event, where the students had the opportunity to speak to and network with future employers.

Students then visited Suffolk County Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing Center, where they learned about advanced manufacturing techniques, soldering, welding, and CVC machining, equipping them with skills that are in high demand across the region. Field trips during the final week visited The Haugland Group’s headquarters and the National Grid Northport Power Plant.

The graduation closed with a message to the students from Judith Brown Clarke, vice president of equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, whose office funded the presidential mini-grant that helped support the program.

“When you connect yourself to what your future is, you have hope, and then hope gives you aspiration, and also guides the things that you do. For each of you, remember all the things that make it possible,” said Clarke. “As you go back to school, it gets noisy, and there’s a lot of opportunity in that noise to make choices that may undermine what you now have learned can be your next step moving forward. So make good choices, and surround yourself with the people that are around you right now.”

Materials and services were supported by the Haugland Group, the New York Power Authority (NYPA), New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Orsted, as well as SBU’s Office of Admissions, Career Center, Center for Integrated Electric Energy Systems, Conference and Event Services, Division of Information Technology, the Office of the President, Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives (DI3), and the Division of Student Affairs.