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BOCES and JCC Announce Agreement to Provide Business
Degree Pathway for Career and Technical Education Students at BOCES
Published: June 23, 2021 at
07:30 p.m.
By: Joint Press Release from BOCES and JCC
 
BOCES and Jefferson Community College Sign
Articulation Agreement for Business Degree Pathway for BOCES’ Career &
Technical Education Students
The
Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-Oneida BOCES (BOCES) and Jefferson
Community College (JCC) leadership teams are pleased to announce an
exciting new articulation agreement that will provide a faster and
cost-effective pathway for students in the region to earn a business
degree. Students at the BOCES technical centers in Jefferson and Lewis
Counties who successfully complete their two-year program in Career &
Technical Education (CTE) will then have the opportunity
to earn the AOS (Associate of Occupational Studies) Degree in
Applied Business Studies from JCC beginning with the 2021-22 school year.
Both BOCES and
JCC have been working closely to align educational programs and services to
best meet the needs of the community’s students. The Boards of BOCES and
JCC came together in October 2020 to set joint priorities for the
partnership. These priorities include creating seamless pathways between
the K-12 districts, BOCES, and JCC, while recognizing that employers, students and parents want clear pathways from education
to employment.
In a 2021 survey,
conducted by JCC’s Office of Strategic Initiatives, when asked about
anticipated hiring over the next five years and in-demand degrees, Business
Administration (#1) and Applied Business Studies (#5) were among the top
programs of interest among responding local employers. When asked about
hiring difficulties over the past five years, over 30% of responding local
employers indicated candidates had insufficient educational credentials.
Over 47% of responding local employers indicated that the primary
shortcoming among recent applicants was their technical skills. (JCC
Employer Survey, 2021)
Based on this
research, BOCES and JCC have developed an articulation agreement that
results in students earning up to 20 credit hours toward the AOS (Associate
of Occupational Studies) degree in Applied Business Studies upon completion
of a 2-year CTE course during high school, at either the Howard G. Sackett
Technical Center in Lewis County or Charles H. Bohlen, Jr. Technical Center
in Jefferson County. Earning these college credits incurs no cost for
students or their families, upon enrolling at JCC, saving them almost $5000
on the cost of an AOS degree at JCC.
High school
juniors and seniors also have the opportunity to
take college courses at a heavily discounted rate, through JCC’s EDGE
program. For the AOS in Applied Business Studies degree, transferring BOCES
credits and taking EDGE courses can equal over 50% in savings on the cost
of this degree. This also makes it possible for students to earn this Associate’s degree in as little as one year.
BOCES District
Superintendent Stephen J. Todd states, “this new program pathway will be
good for students, good for families, good for area employers, and good for
our community. BOCES students will have the opportunity to earn a college
degree more quickly and cost effectively than ever before, and they will be
able to go right to work in our North Country communities with highly
desired, highly marketable career skills. We are pleased and honored to
partner with JCC in offering our students this exciting opportunity.”
Scholarships and
financial aid are available to help students with the remaining cost of the
degree. JCC’s Associate Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Dr. Megan
Stadler, states, “students who take advantage of this initiative will be
able to enter the competitive labor market with highly marketable technical
skills AND a College degree, preparing them for a
sustainable career and the skills necessary to manage or start and operate
a business. We want BOCES students to see themselves on a pathway to College--we believe in their potential and the value of
a career and technical education combined with an Associate’s degree. The
Jefferson and BOCES teams are committed to this shared vision and will
continue to work together to best serve the needs of local students and
employers.”
This BOCES to JCC
AOS agreement was signed on May 20, 2021 and is
applicable beginning Fall 2021 for the 2021-2022 academic year.
For more
information on the BOCES to JCC AOS program, call 315-777-9800 or email JCCdegree@boces.com
About
Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-Oneida BOCES Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-Oneida
BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) offers cost-effective
shared services to 18 component school districts. These services include
career and technical education course offerings as well as special
education, instructional and administrative support services. BOCES also
serves the continuing education needs of local business, labor and
industries in the community and offers a wide range of continuing education
opportunities for adult learners. Learn more at www.boces.com.
About Jefferson
Community College
One of 30
community colleges supervised by the State University of New York, Jefferson
Community College is the community’s leading resource for leading
better lives, offering 40+ associate degrees for career preparation or for
transfer to a 4-year college; certificate programs; online learning;
business and industry training; and cultural enrichment opportunities for
the entire Watertown/Fort Drum region. Learn more at www.sunyjefferson.edu.
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