Hardware repair. Networking. Cybersecurity. They’re all in Colin Douglass’ wheelhouse.

But Douglass doesn’t work for a private company, earning the big salary such technical skills usually draw. Instead, he teaches these skills to students at the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES in New Hartford.

“I love teaching,” he said. “I love preparing students for the workforce. ... Training students to be employable is just so great because here not only do we teach the hard skills ... we teach a lot of the soft skills. We teach how to get the job. We talk about interview skills, shaking people’s hand and looking them in the eye. ... We need successful working adults. We need to train these students so they can be successful members of society.”

Douglass, who’s taught emerging technology and cybersecurity at the BOCES for six years, has been nominated by BOCES as an Amazing Teacher for a series by the Observer-Dispatch recognizing exemplary instructors in Oneida, Herkimer and Madison counties.

“Mr. Douglass approaches his duties with passion, dedication, organization and humor,” wrote CTE Principal David Stayton in his letter of nomination. “He is truly student-centered as he fosters positive relationships with students to enhance their learning and to make them better global citizens. He works endlessly to ensure students not only have strong curriculum correlating with college syllabi but also authentic learning environments to gain firsthand knowledge of networks and their secure operations.”

Stayton also praised Douglass for being a resource for other teachers in the school.

Students spend their junior and senior years studying computers with Douglass.

“Some of my students would go, maybe, right to work at place like Best Buy and the Geek Squad or something like that,” he said. “But to get into the higher tech field, they’re looking at more education.”

So Douglass keeps his curriculum closely aligned to that at Mohawk Valley Community College. Many students then continue on to Utica College or SUNY Polytechnic Institute, after which they find many opportunities in the booming local, high-tech field, Douglass said.

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