A New York state high school is offering a two-year photonics training program designed to prepare adolescents for the work force. In one of the first programs of its kind at the high-school level, teachers at Coopers Education Center in Painted Post have put together a curriculum that includes instruction on fiber optics, lasers and optics. Aside from the comprehensive technical content, the course addresses issues such as workplace communications, use of Microsoft Power Point, technical reading and other "soft skills."