Seeing the contracts NFL teams are handing out, it’s wild to see the value of a journeyman quarterback or a promising left tackle.

But we have students graduating from our high schools this year who have made their own million-dollar decisions in mechatronics and in the metal trades.

And nothing is preventing more students from doing the same.

Take Joseph Costa and Thomas Condidorio from LeRoy. We just celebrated our 100^th graduate in the Batavia Career & Technical Education Center’s Electro-Mechanical Trades Program, and their story is an example of why this career pathway is working.

In their junior and senior years, Joseph and Thomas trained in the Electro-Mechanical Trades classroom and gone on job shadows and paid youth apprenticeship co-ops at Gorbel.

Both students are now graduating with accepted offers to continue with the company and pursue apprenticeships.

Without college debt and with the starting salaries matching their training experience, they are on the path to making $1 million over the next 12 years.

How?

Upon entering the workforce in a specialized field, students can complete a four-year apprenticeship program, where they gain hands-on experience and develop their skills while contributing to the team as a valuable asset.

These four years can earn you as much as $250,000, debt-free!

After your apprenticeship, you will be well on your way with promotions, additional job duties, and leadership roles that will set you up for sustained success throughout your professional career.  

Your next eight years in the workforce can earn you an additional $750,000 to complete your 'make a million in mechatronics' milestone as a professional able to receive a steady annual salary increase.

Joseph and Thomas are thrilled to have the chance to "make a million in mechatronics", but what's even more exciting is that every other student in their region, and their classmates in the CNC and Welding programs at the Batavia CTE, share the same incredible opportunity!

These three programs are just the beginning of what mechatronics and the metal trades have to offer, providing a foundation for a wide range of career possibilities.

Mechatronics is an in-demand skill set that employers are actively searching for and provides professionals with diverse roles related to computing, robotics, mechanical and information technology.

For Joseph and Thomas, the programs that led them to start their careers in mechatronics with a strong foundation in robotics, residential/commercial electrical, circuit boards, wiring, and most importantly how to become a self-sufficient learner, skills manifested from the instruction of Rich Monroe and the Electro-Mechanical Program.

These skills lead to local careers including residential electrician, industrial electrician, maintenance technician, advanced manufacturing technician, robotics technician, engineering/engineering technician, solar technician, and even healthcare technician!

Even if your child is graduating without taking advantage of this program, there are opportunities to catch up.

The same partners that supported Joseph and Thomas team up for a six-week mechatronics-based program at the Batavia CTE Center that provides students aged 18-24 with paid on-the-job training and classroom instruction.

By gaining these skills, students can improve their job prospects and increase their earning potential in the region.

With all of the companies growing in our region, we can help your son or daughter find their path. As a career coach, I’m passionate about helping them.

We can get them on the path to ‘make a million in mechatronics and the metal trades’!

Contact me at [email protected] to learn more about the opportunities available.

- Chris “Coach SwazZ” Suozzi is the Vice President of Business & Workforce Development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center