NORWICH – As part of an ongoing partnership between DCMO BOCES and the City of Norwich, students in the BOCES carpentry and building construction program have been working on the city owned property on 49 Front St. since fall 2010 and continue to make the area brighter.

The project comes at a minimal cost to the city. Paying only for building supplies and some specialized services while labor comes free from BOCES students, city officials plan to sell the house for the amount they invested without seeking a profit. The initial plan was to have a buyer by 2011, but with the house currently too far from completion, hopes are to sell the property by the end of 2012.

Kent Rubottom, instructor of the program, said the arrangement has been financially beneficial for the city, which gains from the free labor, but has been even more beneficial for his students, who gain the training and skills needed to make them more employable.

“If they learn problem solving and to follow written and verbal directions then they can really see an advantage. They’re tremendous skills that are transferable,” Rubottom said.