BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — McKinley High School students majoring in vocational studies have celebrated today the completion of constructing two mobile homes as part of their capstone.
One of the students tells 7 News reporter Yoselin Person he’s proud of the skills he has obtained.
“At first, it was difficult because we had to get to know each other and work as a team because we didn’t know how to work as a team before,” says Yaniel Martinez, a senior at McKinley High School.
Cash auctions auctioned off the houses to two buyers for $20,000 each.
The Executive Director of Construction Exchange, Joe Benedict, says collaborating with these students is about helping them to get that advanced hands-on experience.
“This is a great skill to have if you think about how many people built a house from the ground up,” Benedict says. “These kids, whether working in construction or not, they know how to build a house when they walk out of here.”
Others, like the Director of Career and Education of Buffalo Public Schools Robert Harris, say vocational skills offer a great foundation allowing students to pursue many different options.
“Right now they can start off by going directly into the career and to college, and we offer 18 credited hours through the completion of this house,” Harris says.
Some McKinley students encourage the upcoming generation to consider career and technical education.
“There are some kids that want to go to Mckinley to try and do carpentry,” says Mckinley High School student Yaniel Martinez. “This is the best place you can go to.
