{"id":78041,"date":"2026-08-02T15:37:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T19:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/?p=78041"},"modified":"2026-08-02T15:37:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T19:37:36","slug":"glow-with-your-hands-to-launch-2026-career-exploration-event-with-kick-off-celebration-in-orleans-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2026\/08\/02\/glow-with-your-hands-to-launch-2026-career-exploration-event-with-kick-off-celebration-in-orleans-county\/","title":{"rendered":"GLOW With Your Hands to Launch 2026 Career Exploration event with kick-off celebration in Orleans County"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Press release<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The GLOW With Your Hands Committee will officially launch the 2026 GLOW With Your Hands Manufacturing Career Exploration Event with a special kick-off celebration on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Orleans\/Niagara BOCES’ Orleans Career and Technical Education Center (OCTEC) in Medina.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time, the annual kick-off event will be held in Orleans County, highlighting the growing regional collaboration among schools, businesses, workforce development organizations, and community leaders dedicated to preparing the next generation of skilled workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now entering its seventh year, GLOW With Your Hands has grown into one of New York State’s premier career exploration initiatives. What began with a simple vision of connecting students with careers before they make decisions about their future has evolved into a regional partnership that brings together educators, employers, workforce organizations, economic development agencies, and community leaders across Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative introduces students to rewarding careers in manufacturing, skilled trades, engineering, agriculture, construction, transportation, and other high-demand industries while helping employers inspire and build their future workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each year, middle and high school students participate in the hands-on career exploration event, interacting directly with employers, educators, apprentices, and industry professionals. Students gain a better understanding of the skills, education, certifications, and career pathways available while experiencing the technologies and equipment used in today’s workplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year’s event is expected to welcome more than 1,200 students from 32 school districts and more than 70 employers and post-secondary partners for interactive exhibits and hands-on demonstrations. The program’s impact continues to grow, contributing to nearly a 40 percent increase in related Career and Technical Education enrollment at Genesee Valley BOCES.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kick-off celebration serves as the official launch of this year’s event while recognizing the partnerships that make GLOW With Your Hands possible. Attendees will hear from industry, education, workforce development, and students about how collaboration is creating meaningful opportunities for young people while strengthening the region’s workforce pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Featured speakers include Kelly Kiebala, Director of the Orleans County Job Development Center and event emcee; representatives from Brunner International, this year’s featured industry partner and a first-time GLOW With Your Hands participant; Tracy VanVleck, Executive Director of the Genesee-Livingston-Orleans-Wyoming Workforce Development Board; Dr. Michael Weyrauch, Director of Career & Technical Education and Adult Education at Orleans\/Niagara BOCES; and Will Plummer, a recent Albion Central School graduate and Welding student at Orleans\/Niagara BOCES, who will share how hands-on learning has shaped his education and career goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Seven years ago, GLOW With Your Hands began with a shared vision of connecting students with careers before they had to decide what came next,” said Tracy VanVleck, Executive Director of the Genesee-Livingston-Orleans-Wyoming Workforce Development Board. “Today, we’re seeing students who first attended this event enrolling in Career and Technical Education programs, entering apprenticeships, pursuing college degrees, and beginning careers with employers they met through GLOW With Your Hands. That’s the power of bringing education and industry together.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the program, guests will tour OCTEC’s Welding and Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering programs to see firsthand how students are developing the technical skills and industry credentials that prepare them for successful careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 GLOW With Your Hands Manufacturing Career Exploration Event will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, at the Genesee County Fairgrounds in Batavia. More than 1,200 students from across the GLOW region will participate in a full day of interactive exhibits, live demonstrations, and hands-on experiences designed to spark interest in careers that are essential to the local economy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Press release The GLOW With Your Hands Committee will officially launch the 2026 GLOW With Your Hands Manufacturing Career Exploration Event with a special kick-off celebration on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Orleans\/Niagara BOCES’ Orleans Career and Technical Education Center (OCTEC) in Medina. For the first time, \u2026<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2774],"tags":[6000],"class_list":["post-78041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-glow-region","tag-glow-with-your-hands-2026"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8eTP4-kiJ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":73428,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2026\/03\/20\/glow-over-650-students-from-the-glow-region-participate-in-the-4th-annual-glow-with-your-hands-healthcare-career-exploration-event-at-gcc\/","url_meta":{"origin":78041,"position":0},"title":"GLOW\/Over 650 Students from the GLOW region participate in the 4th annual GLOW With Your Hands Healthcare career exploration event at GCC","author":"aka","date":"March 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"More than 650 students from 29 school districts from Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming (GLOW) counties experienced hands-on career exploration with representatives from companies, agencies, non-profits, and educational institutions in the healthcare industry on Friday. In addition to hands-on demonstrations and face-to-face interactions with healthcare organizations, students will each participate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260320_110050.jpg?fit=1200%2C932&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260320_110050.jpg?fit=1200%2C932&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260320_110050.jpg?fit=1200%2C932&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260320_110050.jpg?fit=1200%2C932&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260320_110050.jpg?fit=1200%2C932&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38116,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2022\/12\/07\/genesee-county-glow-works-inc-to-host-first-annual-glow-with-your-hands-healthcare-career-exploration-event\/","url_meta":{"origin":78041,"position":1},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/GLOW Works, Inc. to host first Annual GLOW With Your Hands Healthcare Career Exploration event","author":"aka","date":"December 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Event seeking sponsors to support opportunities for students to meet employers and learn about careers in the healthcare sector Press release Batavia, N.Y. \u2013 GLOW Works Inc. is building on the momentum of its annual GLOW With Your Hands manufacturing event with an expansion to serve the healthcare sector with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20678,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2020\/11\/09\/genesee-county-glow-with-your-hands-to-go-virtual\/","url_meta":{"origin":78041,"position":2},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/”GLOW With Your Hands” to go virtual","author":"aka","date":"November 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"34 Careers highlighted by innovative, On-Demand addition to Annual Career Exploration Event Press release BATAVIA \u2013 The successful GLOW With Your Hands career exploration project hit a major milestone in November with the launch of a new virtual platform to benefit all students in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming County\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":82179,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2026\/09\/27\/genesee-county-glow-with-your-hands-opens-doors-to-career-possibilities-for-more-than-1200-students\/","url_meta":{"origin":78041,"position":3},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/GLOW With Your Hands opens doors to career possibilities for more than 1,200 students","author":"aka","date":"September 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"File photo Regional career exploration event returns to the Genesee County Fairgrounds on September 29 Press release BATAVIA, N.Y. \u2014 For more than 1,200 students across the GLOW region, one hands-on experience could spark an interest, reveal a hidden talent or open the door to a future they had never\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250930_092023.webp?fit=768%2C302&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250930_092023.webp?fit=768%2C302&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250930_092023.webp?fit=768%2C302&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20250930_092023.webp?fit=768%2C302&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":82641,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2026\/09\/30\/genesee-county-photos-glow-with-your-hands-2026-at-the-genesee-county-fairgrounds-september-29th-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":78041,"position":4},"title":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Photos\/GLOW With Your Hands 2026 at the Genesee County Fairgrounds\/September 29th, 2026","author":"aka","date":"September 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"GLOW With Your Hands is a regional workforce development initiative serving Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties. Through immersive, hands-on career exploration experiences, the initiative connects students with local employers, educators, workforce organizations and post-secondary institutions. Since 2019, GLOW With Your Hands has helped more than 6,000 students explore high-demand\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Batavia"","block_context":{"text":"Batavia","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/gennesse-county\/batavia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260929_105412-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C636&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260929_105412-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C636&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260929_105412-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C636&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260929_105412-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C636&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260929_105412-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C636&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35467,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2022\/08\/25\/batavia-aqs-redemption-inc-and-glow-works-inc-partner-to-launch-cans-for-careers\/","url_meta":{"origin":78041,"position":5},"title":"BATAVIA\/AQS Redemption Inc. and GLOW Works Inc. partner to launch ‘Cans for Careers’","author":"aka","date":"August 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Bottle and can returns to benefit workforce development programs, including GLOW With Your Hands Press release BATAVIA, NY \u2013 GLOW With Your Hands is partnering with AQS Redemption Inc. tocollect bottles and cans to help fund career exploration programs. The returns will go into aworkforce development fund at GLOW Works,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Genesee County"","block_context":{"text":"Genesee County","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/category\/genesee-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/videonewsservice.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/VNS.jpg?fit=200%2C200&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78041"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78046,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78041\/revisions\/78046"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}