BERGEN, N.Y. — The fourth annual Genesee Valley Pre-Apprenticeship Boot Camp wrapped up last week, aiming to connect young people with in-demand trade jobs in the region.

This year, 11 students worked with local employers including Craft Cannery in Bergen. News10NBC was live from Craft Cannery, a co-packed of sauces. Chris Suozzi of the Genesee County Economic Development Center said the pre-apprenticeship program helps people to get hands-on experience and to explore whether a career is right for them.

“You’re learning stuff in the classroom and we have some great hands-on equipment but then you get out to the employers and you’re really seeing firsthand is this career for me. And that’s immeasurable,” Suozzi said.

Aidan Harding, 19, graduated from this year’s boot camp where he learned to be an electrician. He now works at Craft Cannery. Harding said that, during the program, he spent half the day in a classroom working on projects and the other half at Craft Cannery learning about how to repair machinery.

“I love the people here. They’re like a new family,” he said.

You can learn more about the pre-apprenticeship program and register for other programs, such as ROC With Your Hands, here. The pre-apprenticeship program is a precursor to the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program You can learn about that program here.