The Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program (FLYAP) marked a milestone Wednesday with its sixth annual “Signing Day,” held at Genesee Community College’s BEST Center in Batavia.
The event recognized more than 45 students enrolled in electromechanical programs who are gaining hands-on, paid work experience through cooperative education placements at 11 local advanced manufacturing companies. The students are participating in on-the-job training designed to connect classroom learning with real-world industry skills.
Organizers highlighted the continued partnership between FLYAP and Genesee Valley BOCES, which has worked with the program for several years to prepare students for careers in advanced manufacturing.
“Team FLYAP is excited to again partner with the students, instructors, and administration at Genesee Valley BOCES to host another great Signing Day ceremony,” said Rich Turner, Executive Director of the Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association and Director of Workforce Development. Turner said the program continues to create pathways for students through paid co-ops and job-shadowing opportunities with regional employers.
The Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program was launched in 2018 by the Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association in partnership with Monroe Community College. Since then, the program has connected more than 825 students with nearly 150 businesses across the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region.
In addition to work experience, FLYAP students have earned credit for more than 750 college courses at no cost during the program’s first five years. The initiative is supported by several organizations, including the RG&E Foundation and the Workforce Development Institute.
Program leaders say Signing Day reflects FLYAP’s ongoing commitment to workforce development and to building a skilled pipeline of talent for the region’s manufacturing industry.
