TCI of New York teams up with RCS High School on Workforce Development
Paid Internships lead to promising careers …
TCI of New York has partnered with the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (RCS) High School to create good paying internships that can lead to full time jobs upon graduating from high school.
Lisa Patierne, Principal at RCS, said, “Not every student will go onto college. TCI provides students with paid worked based learning opportunities that can lead to a promising career.”
The current Internship program is the brainchild of John Barr, Operations Manager at TCI. “I approached Dr. Patierne to set up a new program. With Covid many students were taking online classes. We allow kids to do their schoolwork online at TCI while being paid for their internship.”
Megan Keir is currently a Senior at RCS. She puts in a 40 hour work week. She arrives at 6:30 am to handle the front desk until 8:40 am. Then she takes her online classes until a lunch break. From 12:30 to 4:30 pm Megan then shadows Becky O’Neil who is a Customer Relations Manager. Upon graduation, Megan will be prepared to step into an Administrative Assistant position in the transportation and sales department at TCI.
Brian Hemlock, President of TCI, says, “We initially didn’t offer a paid internship when we first started the program in 2017, but we decided to pay students because they are doing a great job and deserve to be compensated.” He goes on to say, “Education is also important to us. We require the students to keep their grades up while working here.”
“This private-public partnership between TCI and RCS is a perfect example of career exploration and readiness that is paramount to developing a skilled workforce” states Brian Williams, Executive Director of the Capital Region Workforce Development Board. “Exposing youth to different careers allows them to develop the workforce skills they need to be successful.”
The program is flexible allowing students to also take classes at school. Roberto Gonzalez is currently working in the plant taking apart transformers on the line. This is after he takes classes at RCS in the morning. “I love it,” he says. “I’m able to attend my classes and then head over to TCI to work all afternoon making good money.”
Brian Bailey, Superintendent at RCS, says, “We focus on the three E’s: Employment, Enlistment and Enrollment. We are working to prepare kids for life. To be good people, to be kind, and prepare them to ultimately get a job. TCI offer’s these students a worked based learning opportunity that can lead to a good paying job with benefits.”
Brett Margiasso came to TCI through the Albany BOCES program affiliated with RCS. He interned two years ago and now is responsible for offloading all the trucks containing transformers.
“This is a huge responsibility,” says Mr. Barr. “Brett inspects the product and determines what can be salvaged and repurposed. Samples are collected and tested. Brett then directs how the remaining product is separated and goes to the 16 different assembly lines. It can be very confusing. It requires detailed paperwork, and he coordinates everything with Becky in the transportation department. He is twenty years old.”
Caleb Foronda was an intern in the summer 2020 a challenging time with the pandemic. TCI like other employers were being challenged finding workers. “Caleb made an immediate positive impact,” said Mr. Barr. “He worked in our plant and took his online courses here at TCI. He is another success who now works here full time.”
TCI pays a living wage with full benefits upon hiring after graduation. Then there are opportunities for promotion, increased pay and certifications including forklift operation.
When asked how this relationship got started, Dr. Patierne laughs. “A few years ago, these three guys from TCI show up on my doorstep and I say to myself ‘who are these guys and how did they get on my calendar?’ They outlined their vision for the internships. I immediately had a good vibe. I’m comfortable with sending students to TCI because they really are a family organization with a positive culture. The students that work there love it.”
TCI's first plant in Coeyman’s was built in 2014. Last August TCI opened their new expansion facility a 35,000 square foot, state of the art addition that added new capability to the existing plant. This expanded services to their customers the power companies and utilities throughout the Northeast. New jobs were created. Jobs that used to go out of state were brought to Coeymans.
“We are proud to be in Coeymans investing and creating new jobs.,” Mr. Hemlock said. “When we came to Coeymans, we only had 10 employees. Now we have 35 and as far as we are concerned, this is only the beginning.”
TCI of NY is one of eight members of the G&S Family of Companies with 600 employees across America, all devoted to the environmentally safe processing, recycling and repair of transformers and other oil-filled electrical equipment, and the safe processing and re-use of electrical oils. The company recycles and repurposes 99 percent of the material in the transformers received, providing a great environmental benefit as just a few decades ago, this material was put into landfills.
The Capital Region Workforce Development Board (WDB) is comprised of private business representatives and public partners appointed by the Chief Elected Officials of the City of Albany, Albany County, Rensselaer County, and Schenectady County. The WDB strives to strengthen the skills of the Capital Region’s workforce through partnerships with business, education, and community-based organizations. The Workforce Development Board sponsors the three (3) Career Centers in the region that offer a variety of programs designed to help adults and youth identify career pathways and get the appropriate training and skills.