A Bronx high school is preparing the next generation of tradesmen.<\/p>\n
Inside the Bronx Design & Construction Academy, students aren’t just sitting at desks\u2014they’re learning by doing. <\/p>\n
Rocco Lacertosa says this program gives students a great head start to their careers.<\/p>\n
“This is a very good training ground for them to, you know, learn skills, get out into units, work for companies, and earn a good living,” he says.<\/p>\n
The four-year career and technical education program blends academics with real-world job training, helping students build a strong foundation for future careers.<\/p>\n
Bob Bieder, president of Westchester Square Plumbing Supply, says he hires interns from this program every year. He says the passion he sees in these kids is unmatched.<\/p>\n
“Every one of them really wants to work hard. You know, a lot of them come out of poor families where they started with nothing, and now they have real careers where they’re making great salaries,” he says.<\/p>\n
Freshmen at the school rotate through a variety of trades, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, architecture and carpentry. It gives them a chance to discover what fits them best.<\/p>\n
Students work on plumbing systems, use professional architectural tools, and even build a house from the ground up.<\/p>\n
Student Luis Francisco is in the carpentry side of the program and says he now has the tools to get a full-time job.<\/p>\n
“I definitely feel like I’m going to be ready because I’m preparing us for the future. And we’re already getting, like, the firsthand side of it, and it will just be better from here,” he says. <\/p>\n
From the classroom to the construction site, these students are already laying out the groundwork for their futures, one project at a time.<\/p>\n