RTMA Celebrates 6th Genesee Valley Mechatronics Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp Graduation

Batavia – The Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association, the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, Genesee Community College and Genesee County Economic Development Center today celebrated graduates from the 6^th annual Genesee Valley Mechatronics Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp.

Five participants received six weeks of free classroom instruction at the Genesee Valley BOCES in Batavia, paired with paid on-the-job experience at a local advanced manufacturing company. Oxbo, Tambe Electric and UNC Dairy offered paid co-ops to this year’s participants. The program is an earn-while-you-learn model that has placed more than 50 participants into full-time employment and several in registered apprenticeship programs.

“Each year, manufacturing companies across the GLOW Region and Rochester express a need for skilled technicians,” said Rich Turner, RTMA Executive Director. “Programs like the Genesee Valley Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp prepare the next generation with the skills they need to begin a great career that offers free training, great pay and benefits, and room for advancement.”

The RTMA and its partners created the Genesee Valley Pre-Apprenticeship Program in 2021 to assist companies in the region with recruitment and training for high-demand careers in advanced manufacturing. Participants receive 96 hours of state-of-the-art classroom training and more than 100 hours of paid on-the-job experience. Classroom instruction was provided at no cost due to a SUNY Pre-Apprenticeship Grant secured by Genesee Community College and its BEST Center and the RTMA.

The RTMA offers pre-apprenticeship training throughout the year. The Real Life Rosies © and Advance 2 Apprenticeship programs are offered at the FWD Center at Monroe Community College’s downtown Rochester campus and BOCES 2 Center for Workforce Development in Spencerport in September. For more information, call 585-510-6557 or email rthompson@rtma.org.

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Note: 2026 Graduates (left to right), Andrea White, Aiden Bonnett, Logan Fanaro, Landon Helsdon, Austin Moulton, and Rich Monroe (BOCES Instructor)