CiTi BOCES hosted 28 representatives from the trades and unions to its Mexico campus recently for the CiTi Career Connection Series Trades & Unions Expo.

As part of an ongoing series to connect students with pathways and opportunities after graduation, last week’s event showcased private employers, trade and labor unions, and educational and workforce programs.

More than 700 students packed the gymnasium to interact with representatives and try their hand at various trades while gaining some networking experience.

The CiTi Career Connection Series is designed for students 8th grade and on, featuring career awareness activities and interactive presentations, aimed at exploring diverse career paths through engaging sessions and networking opportunities with professionals across various fields. Among the attendees was Codi Notaro and Jacob Mills from CME Associates, a company that specializes in testing and inspecting construction projects.

“We’re here to promote trades. We’re in the construction industry and that’s not something that’s not heavily talked about,” Notaro said. “We’re that third party testing agency that makes sure that a building is going up correctly and there are no safety issues down the road. It’s really important because there is so much involved with getting a building to be an actual product that’s delivered.”

“We’ve had a lot of interaction and participation here,” Mills added. “It’s been nice to see people from auto and electrical to come and talk – people that are already in something but considering something else, so it’s nice to get the diversity.”

Other representatives in attendance for the Trades & Unions Expo included:

• Ironworkers Local 60
• Plumbers/Steam Loc. 81
• Heat/Frost Local #30
• Electrical IBEW #43
• Painters – IUPAT
• Operating Engineers
• OCWA – Water
• Page Trucking
• Sprinkler Fitters
• National Grid
• Laborers
• Carpenters
• Brick Layers
• Ianuzi & Roman
• Isaac Heating / AC
• On Point
• Oswego County Workforce New York
• Big Red Trucking
• Davis-Ulmer
• CME Associates
• Milton Cat
• New York State Department of Labor
• JPW Companies
• CiTi Adult Education
• New York State Department of Agriculture
• NYSDOT Fleet Admin
• Callanan Industries
• Boilermakers

The next event in the Career Connection Series will be the Health Careers Expo on March 20, 2026. More information about CiTi’s Career Connection Series and to registration information