KINGSBURY -- Dan Komarony got his start in the machining trades thanks to training at the local BOCES. Now, as president of DK Machine Inc. in Fort Edward, all but one of his 11 employees have come from the same program.

So, when Komarony heard the program that has served him and his business well over the years may be discontinued due to low enrollment, he rallied his peers to organize two events on campus. The goal: to generate interest in machine trades and promote the Machine Tool Technology classes at Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES.

"I had (industry) support like you wouldn't believe," Komarony said. "We put together a group and it will only grow from here."

On Wednesday, the industry and BOCES came together for the second of two open house/job fairs at the Dix Avenue campus. Students, faculty and more than a dozen employers gathered to recruit high school students and adults for the BOCES program and provide information about jobs that await graduates.

Doug Leavens, director of career and technical education for the local BOCES, said the machine tool program has always had modest enrollment, but this year it looked like there weren't enough students to continue the course.

He was surprised by the extent of support from local employers, and said there are now 12 students signed up for the daytime program.

"It speaks volumes about the need," Leavens said. "It could have fallen by the wayside." According to local manufacturers, low demand for training has translated to fewer skilled workers. In reaching out to other businesses, Komarony found many firms are struggling to fill their vacancies with qualified workers.

"A lot of companies can't grow because there are no machinists. It affects the bottom line," he said.

Lee Rehn, a rebuild specialist at GL&V in Hudson Falls, agreed. He said GL&V, a manufacturer of dryer parts for the paper-making process, has been trying to fill two machinist jobs for a couple of months.

With the emphasis on Silicon Valley and high-tech jobs, Rehn said the machine trades have not received the attention they deserve.

"I don't think it's sold," he said of promoting machine tool training to students. He graduated from the BOCES program in 1978, and said it can serve as a foundation for a range of careers and jobs.

Down the hall from the employer booths on Wednesday, students Patrick Glacy and Chris Komarony, both 17 and rising seniors at Argyle Central High School, demonstrated how to operate some of the more complex machinery in the BOCES workshop.

Glacy plans to look for work right out of high school; Chris Komarony may apply his machining training toward an engineering degree.

Both said they have gained extensive real-world experience and job skills that supplement their classroom education.

"This is our math and English room," Glacy said of the BOCES machine shop, before using a lathe, or metal turning machine, to shape aluminum.

BOCES caters to high school students in the region, but also enrolls adults. The high school students generally take the machine tool course half a day over two years. Adults can complete it in a year with full-day instruction, or take a night program that runs one semester.

"Machine tool trades are losing skilled labor at a high rate through attrition," Leavens said. "These are not jobs and skills you can walk in off the street and perform."

The program teaches students math, writing and problem-solving. They work with manual equipment so they understand the basics of how computerized machines run.

Graduates receive a certificate that demonstrates their knowledge and training.

For Laurien Barret of Saratoga Springs, Wednesday's event opened the door to new possibilities. Unemployed for six months, Barret said he is interested in machining, but doesn't have the experience needed to apply for jobs.

"I've been struggling and looking every day," he said. "This is going to help me find a job, and hopefully a career."