Students & Educators from Nearly 50 Schools Attend the 4th Annual ROC With Your Hands Career Exploration Event

Rochester, NY – Students and educators from nearly 50 schools across the city of Rochester, Monroe County and Finger Lakes region attended the 4th annual ROC With Your Hands career exploration event today at the Rochester Community Sports Complex. The event is the region’s largest single-day event of its kind in the region. ROC With Your Hands is organized by the Rochester Technology & Manufacturing Association (RTMA) in partnership with the city of Rochester, Monroe County, Monroe Community College, RochesterWorks, UNiCON Rochester and the Builders Exchange.

ROC With Your Hands featured more than 75 employers that showcased careers, offered hands-on demonstrations, and provided information in their respective industries. About 1,500 students in grades seven through 12 were exposed to careers and training programs in advanced manufacturing, skilled trades, automotive technology, heavy equipment and more. Students also received free merchandise and lunch. ROC With Your Hands is provided at no cost to schools, students and businesses thanks to the generosity of the organizers, community partners, and donors.

The RTMA developed ROC With Your Hands through discussions with local leaders, educators, businesses, and community members through the association’s Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program. The event supports the RTMA’s mission of promoting manufacturing innovation and growth in the greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region by partnering with industry, academia, and government.

“The RTMA created ROC With Your Hands to show all high school students the great opportunities in advanced manufacturing, skilled trades, heavy equipment, automotive technology and more,” said Bob Coyne, Executive Director of the RTMA. “By partnering with the government, academia and industry, ROC With Your Hands has become one of the largest and most successful single day career exploration events in New York State.”

The city of Rochester and its Department of Recreation and Human Services have generously hosted ROC With Your Hands at the Rochester Community Sports Complex since its inception. Mayor Malik Evans and his administration are committed to workforce development training and entrepreneurial services.

“ROC With Your Hands is a one-stop-shopping experience for Rochester’s young people to test-drive their many choices in such careers as advanced manufacturing, skilled trades, auto-mechanics and heavy machinery,” said Mayor Malik D. Evans. “This is an amazing opportunity to explore good paying, rewarding jobs that are also critical to the long-term success of the Rochester economy. I am grateful to the Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association and the many partners who organized this event for once again putting together a fantastic program to help our region’s young people find their own best pathways to success in the workforce of tomorrow.”

Monroe County and its Industrial Development Corporation and Planning & Development Department also support ROC With Your Hands. The county coordinates and provides a broad range of job retention and creation programs, and employment and training services. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello remains committed to making the region economically prosperous by ensuring a high quality of life.

“Monroe County’s economy is thriving, with new opportunities for growth and success every year in advanced manufacturing, automotive technology, and the skilled trades,” said Monroe County Executive Adam Bello. “ROC With Your Hands is a remarkable event that not only offers hands-on experiences but also inspires young people to pursue rewarding careers that will shape our community’s future. By connecting students with pathways to today’s in-demand jobs and tomorrow’s workforce needs, we are continuing to build a stronger, more vibrant economy. Monroe County is proud to partner with the Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association and so many others to bring this event to life.”

Monroe Community College (MCC) and the RTMA have long partnered on educational programs for advanced manufacturing professionals, registered apprentices, and high school students. MCC’s Economic and Workforce Development Center and Applied Technologies Center have supported ROC With Your Hands from its inception.

“ROC With Your Hands showcases how community educational partnerships can influence the future of our high school students,” said Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, President, Monroe Community College. “Through our collaboration with the Rochester Technology & Manufacturing Association, high school students gain hands-on experience across a variety of fields, empowering them to envision a future filled with purpose and possibility. These experiences not only ignite passion for potential career paths but also help students see that a successful, fulfilling life after graduation is not just a dream—it’s entirely within their grasp."

RochesterWorks also serves on the ROC With Your Hands steering committee. The community’s Workforce Development Board and American Job Center also provides training and employment services for those in the city of Rochester and Monroe County. UNiCON Rochester and the Builder’s Exchange also assist with the organization of ROC With Your Hands and host similar career exploration events which are supported by the RTMA. Both provide a wide array of services and programs to local construction and union trades while advocating for our community’s economy and workforce.

The Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association and ROC With Your Hands steering committee would like to thank the event’s partners, sponsors and vendors of the event for allowing the program to be provided to local schools free of charge. For more information on ROC With Your Hands, you can visit https://www.rtma.org/rwyh/ or contact the RTMA at info@rtma.org or (585) 510-6557.