In only her junior year, Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES student Brianna White is already finding her stride in her paid internship at Gallinger-Lilly Plumbing & Heating. The Auburn-based company services and installs residential and light commercial plumbing and heating systems.
White, who is enrolled in the Construction & Building Trades program at BOCES, says her time at Gallinger-Lilly has taught her valuable skills, from customer service to problem-solving.
“One of the best things I have learned is getting to interact with the customers and figuring out a game plan with them on how you are going to fix something,” White said. “I have also learned how to operate various tools and all different kinds of materials and parts.”
White added that the internship is setting her up for success after school. She explained that the experience looks great on resumes and can potentially lead to scholarships and job offers after graduation.
According to co-owner Kristen Gallinger, the partnership with Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES has been a perfect match.
“We’ve had a great experience with BOCES staff and Brianna,” she said. “We are always looking to find young people interested in the trades and willing to learn. It helps our business if we can get students interested in plumbing and heating since there is a shortage of candidates to hire in this field.”
Gallinger-Lilly management noted that White and BOCES staff have been easy to work with and expectations for the internship have been clear from the beginning. Both parties hope this is just the first year of a long relationship that benefits the students and business.
For more information on the Work-Based Learning program at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES, please contact Kimberly Stevers at kstevers@cayboces.org or at (315) 253-0361, ext. 5117.
