Baker-Polito Administration Awards $11.7 Million in Skills Capital Grants to Educational Institutions Across the Commonwealth
BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced
$11.7 million in Skills Capital Grants awarded to 47 educational institutions
across the Commonwealth to update
equipment and expand student enrollment in programs that provide career
education. Twelve of the organizations are receiving a Skills Capital Grant for
the first time, and one school, Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical
High School, received a multi-year grant award for $1.25 million.
To date, the
Baker-Polito Administration has awarded approximately $92 million in Skills
Capital Grants to nearly 300 different programs. Through Skills Capital Grants,
schools have expanded their enrollment of students learning skills in
high-demand occupations, enabling more than 16,200 additional students to
enroll in educational programs that are prioritized by employers across
Massachusetts.
For the first
time, in January 2020, the Baker-Polito Administration awarded multi-year
grants, allowing educational institutions to apply for either one or two years
of funding. Entities that receive two-year awards require a local matching contribution of $1 to every $3 of
state resources.
“At a critical
time in our Commonwealth, these Skills Capital Grants will increase flexibility
and support for schools and educational institutions to launch new programs and
help more students develop important technical skills and prepare them for
high-demand industries,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “As our economy
moves forward, it will be crucial for young people to develop the important
technical skills that local employers need to grow their businesses.”
“Skills Capital
Grants give schools the ability to upgrade equipment and increase enrollment,
which over the last five years has given thousands of students the skills and
knowledge they need to be competitive in the job market,” said Lt. Governor
Karyn Polito. “Now more than ever, we need to continue this commitment to
ensure students are ready for careers that are growing in our Commonwealth.”
The Skills Capital Grants are
awarded by Governor Baker’s Workforce Skills Cabinet, which was created in 2015
to bring together the Secretariats of Education, Labor and Workforce
Development, and Housing and Economic Development to align education, economic
development and workforce policies in order to strategize around how to meet
employers’ demand for skilled workers in every region of the Commonwealth.
The competitive grants are
awarded to educational institutions that demonstrate partnerships with local
businesses, as well as align curriculum and credentials with industry demand to
maximize hiring opportunities in each region of the state. The 2018 Economic
Development Bill, filed by the Governor and passed by the Legislature,
established an additional $75 million in Skills Capital Grant funding.
“Several schools
awarded grants in this round will be able to expand their after-school and
evening vocational programs, in alignment with the Governor’s Career Technical
Initiative aimed at giving more people opportunities and education in the
trades,” said Education Secretary James Peyser. “The Career Technical
Initiative provides additional career training opportunities for both young
people and adults by operating three teaching shifts a day at vocational
schools.”
Launched in January 2020, the Career Technical Initiative aims to
provide more Massachusetts residents access to career technical training and
certification using the state’s existing resources at vocational high schools,
while simultaneously helping businesses grow by increasing the population of
skilled workers able to be employed in trade and construction jobs. The plan
takes a multi-pronged approach to increase student enrollment and includes
state funding to help adults pay for classes, boosts business involvement in
program development and credentials, and reduces licensure barriers to
incentivize mid-career professionals to become vocational teachers.
“By strengthening our
existing talent pipelines through Skills Capital Grants, we continue to create
career paths for young people, address key skills gaps that could hinder our
competitiveness, and reinforce the notion that the Commonwealth’s workforce
makes Massachusetts a desirable location to locate and expand,” said
Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy. “As
Massachusetts proceeds through the current economic recovery, we remain
committed to making targeted investments in training a skilled workforce,
forging new partnerships between employers, schools and workers, and getting
people back to work.”
"The Skills
Capital Grants help build resilient workforce skills through training programs
and pathways that are the product of partnerships between employers and
workers. These skill building programs are a vital tool in our re-employment
strategies to help workers displaced from their jobs due to COVID-19," said
Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta.
The following
organizations received awards in this round:
Assabet Valley Regional
Technical High School, Marlborough - $358,741 Healthcare Technicians: The vocational school will purchase healthcare
equipment to create several simulation labs to train students and adult
learners in the skills needed for entry-level jobs in healthcare. The equipment
will include “smart” hospital beds, EKG and modular lab equipment, Patient
Communication Simulator, ADA compliant stethoscopes, sphygmomanometers,
electronic thermometers, blood pressure arm simulators, and phlebotomy
equipment.
Attleboro High School,
Attleboro - $250,000 Metal
Fabrication and Engineering Technicians: This grant will enable Attleboro High School to meet demand for adult
and evening school training to residents in the community, as well as upgrade
equipment for high school students. The new equipment will include virtual
welding units, CNC plasma cutters, 3-D printers, vacuum forming machines, and
laser cutters.
Berkshire Innovation
Center, Pittsfield - $200,000 Robotics
and Automation Technology: The Berkshire Innovation Center will introduce
additional manufacturing and robotics training to support advanced
manufacturers in the region.
Bridgewater State
University, Bridgewater - $250,000 Manufacturing:
Photonics and Optical Engineering: With the grant funding, Bridgewater
State will increase capacity to train future photonics engineers, optical
engineers, laser engineers, and meteorologists.
Bristol County
Agricultural High School, Dighton - $250,000 Horticulture Program: The high school will expand its
horticulture program with the addition of advanced technology and modernized
equipment to support floriculture, arboriculture, and landscape design and
contracting. The school will also modernize its greenhouse.
Brockton High School,
Brockton - $200,000 Culinary Arts
and Hospitality Management: The
school’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Program operates in
collaboration with surrounding businesses, restaurants, and educational
partners. The grant will help the school expand its instructional capacity and
ensure students are trained using industry standard equipment.
Bunker Hill Community
College, Boston - $400,000 Associate
of Science Degree in Registered Nursing: The grant will support a new
nursing Innovation Pathway program for students from Madison Park Vocational
Technical School, in partnership with the University of Massachusetts Boston.
The college will also make critically needed updates to its registered
nursing program’s simulation labs. BHCC will install a networked web-based
video capture system in all three laboratory classrooms, allowing faculty to
view and evaluate student performance.
Cape Cod Community
College, West Barnstable - $295,587 Hospitality
Management and Culinary: The college
will enhance and expand its Zammer Culinary Institute, which is used by
students in the culinary certificate and business/hospitality degree programs.
The expanded culinary and dining facilities will be available to businesses in
the region which want to test or prototype food products and will also serve
the community by serving meals prepared by the students participating in
culinary courses.
Central MA Center for
Business & Enterprise, Whitinsville - $253,500 Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing: The
Blackstone Valley Education Hub will collaborate with education partners in the
region to support middle school, high school and college students with training
to meet the industry demands of advanced manufacturers in the area.
Dudley Charlton School
District: Shepherd Hill Regional High Dudley- $100,000 Innovations Pathway in Manufacturing and Environmental
and Life Sciences: Students at
Shepherd Hill Regional High School enrolled in Innovation Pathways in
manufacturing and environmental life sciences will have access to
industry-standard equipment in order to obtain certifications and credentials
in these industry sectors. The school has partnered with UMass Medical,
Harrington Hospital, and Quinsigamond Community College, as well as the Central
Region Workforce Board, Blackstone Valley Educational Foundation, Project Lead
the Way, Mass STEM Hub and AET Labs.
Edco Collaborative,
Bedford - $110,000 Customer
Service and Culinary Arts/ Training: The collaborative will utilize the
National Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s cornerstone curriculum
and career pathway program called PROSTART to train students in customer
service and the culinary arts industries. Equipment purchased with the grant
will also be used by the community in after-school and summer learning
academies for young chefs and special dietary classes for adults.
Essex North Shore
Agricultural and Technical High School, Hathorne - $1,250,000 Machine Tool Technology/Advanced Manufacturing /
Plumbing: The grant will improve and
expand career and technical education opportunities to students on the North
Shore and Cape Ann in the Machine Tool Technology, Advanced Manufacturing (MTT)
and Plumbing programs. These programs will be expanded to provide space and
equipment for additional students during the day and after school, and adults
in the adult education program. The grant is matched with $500,000 of local
resources.
Everett High School,
Everett - $85,000 Culinary Arts
Program: The high school will open an
onsite bistro to create an in-house experiential learning opportunity for
students. The experience will build students’ real-world skills so they can
meet the expectations of employers.
Franklin County Technical
School District, Turners Falls - $200,000 Machine Technology Advanced Precision Machining: The school
district will purchase Advanced Precision Machine Mills and a Coordinate
Measuring Machine to support vocational students and adult workers in the
Middle Skills Machine Program so they can meet the hiring needs of employers in
the Pioneer Valley.
Gardner Public Schools,
Gardner - $100,000 Manufacturing
Innovation Pathway: The school
district will purchase a 3D printer, Concept Mill, laser engraver, and robotic
trainer to support high school students in the manufacturing Innovation
Pathway, which operates in collaboration with the Central Workforce Board and
local employers form the North Central region.
Greater Lawrence Technical
School (GLTS), Andover - $400,000 Information
Support Services and Networking (IT), Robotics and Automation Technology,
Engineering: The high school will
upgrade training labs with robotics equipment, computer workstations, network
design technology and optic and laser equipment to support students in the
traditional day programs as well as students in the Lawrence High School
Afterschool Program. GLTS also partners with Northern Essex Community College
and offers adults evening workforce development programs to train residents to
meet employers’ demand for talent.
Greater Lowell Technical
High School, Tyngsboro - $250,000 Electronics
and Engineering Technology: The high
school will purchase robotics equipment to upgrade the engineering STEM lab to
support students, afternoon youth programs and adult evening students to meet
the growing industry demand for skilled talent in electronics and engineering
programs. The school collaborates with Middlesex Community College and Greater
Lowell MassHire.
Hampden County Sheriff's
Department, Ludlow - $300,000 Sheet
Metalworking for Advanced Manufacturing: The sheriff’s department
will train its incarcerated student population in drafting, blueprint reading,
metal fabrication, basic welding technology, manufacturing math and metallurgy.
The grant will support a sheet metalworking program to meet hiring needs in the
advanced manufacturing sector.
Madison Park Technical
Vocational High School - $180,000 Healthcare
Programs: The high school will
purchase equipment for its existing Health Assisting and Dental Assisting
programs. The Health Assisting program provides a pathway for students
interested in licensed practical nursing (LPN), nurses’ assistant (NA), medical
assistant (MA), and registered nurse (RN). The school partners with Boston
Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School
MedScience program, Whittier Street Health Center, Bunker Hill Community
College, UMass-Boston School of Nursing, and Brockton Hospital School of
Nursing.
Martha's Vineyard Regional
High School, Oak Bluffs - $100,000 Carpentry/Building
Trades Program: The high school will modernize its carpentry, which trains
vocational students, afternoon students and adults seeking career changes.
Massachusetts College of
Art and Design, Boston - $300,000: The
CNC studio funded by the grant will benefit students enrolled in multiple
undergraduate majors, graduate degrees, and continuing education programs by
providing training on milling machines, CNC routers, and vacuum routers.
Massachusetts College of
Liberal Arts, North Adams - $250,000 Healthcare
Workforce: Students will be able to
study the human body by taking real X-ray images as part of their studies in
the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program, and a new nursing program developed
in collaboration with Berkshire Health systems.
Massachusetts Department
of Correction Education Division, Milford - $125,000 Culinary Arts and Industry Certification: Students
are provided opportunities to work as employees in a restaurant setting,
learning cooking skills, kitchen safety, communication skills within the
workplace, presentation, dependability and teamwork. The grant will purchase
learning tables to provide students with access to self-paced instruction in
foundation skills, as well as upgrade hands-on training in the kitchen.
Massasoit Community
College, Brockton - $250,000 Information
Technology in Cyber Security: The
college will use the grant to purchase equipment to support its stackable
degree pathway program: A+ industry certification leading to Networking
certification, leading to Network Risk Management Associate Degree. The college
will provide adults who are unemployed and underemployed, recent high school
graduates, and dual-enrollment high school students with hands-on,
competency-based instruction.
McCann Technical School,
North Adams - $188,800 Advanced
Manufacturing: With the grant, the
high school will be able to increase training capacity in its advanced
manufacturing programs, as well as evening programs for unemployed adults,
veterans, and incumbent workers seeking retraining.
Minuteman Regional
Vocational Technical School District, Lexington - $300,000 Robotics in Logistics: The school’s Robotics & Automation program will
provide students with technical skills in robotics equipment used by employers
involved in logistics activities. Minuteman High School is expanding its adult
evening training programs and is partnering with Quinsigamond Community College
to expand its ability to offer industry-recognized credentials in robotic
logistics engineering, automation and supply chain management.
Montachusett Regional
Vocational Technical School, Fitchburg - $323,160 Culinary Arts: The high school will replace
food service equipment that was installed when the school opened more than 50
years ago, including kettles, fryers, griddles, ovens, and steamers. The
kitchens will be substantially more efficient, allowing educators to revise curriculum
to reflect more efficient service and preparation outcomes. In addition, the
school will update the greenhouse, allowing the culinary arts program to
include farm-to-table lessons and strong ties between agriculture and cuisine.
New Bedford
High School, $250,000, Marine Manufacturing Technology: New Bedford High School is establishing a Marine
Manufacturing Training laboratory to prepare students for careers in marine and
maritime industries. The laboratory will be outfitted with welding training
equipment, virtual welding and carpentry training equipment.
North Shore Community
College, Danvers - $321,600 Computer
Science Networking Services Lab: By
upgrading its IT/Computer Science lab, the college will improve its existing
programs for incumbent workers, high school and college students in order to
supply local employers with skilled IT workers. The lab is critical for Cisco
courses being developed to prepare students for the CCNA (Cisco Certified
Network Associate) Routing & Switching and CCNA Security exams, as well as
partnering with Cisco Academy to allow students and faculty to have access to
Cisco virtual resources.
Northern Essex Community
College, Lawrence - $400,000 Health
Professions and Dental Assisting: The college developed the COVID-19 Health
and Economic Response Program to provide high-demand micro credentials in the
health professions. The grant will support traditional students in the
college’s Health Professions and Dental Assisting programs, as well as
workforce training programs for high-demand micro credentials, including
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS); Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS);
Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP); and Emergency Medical Services.
Peabody Public Schools,
Peabody - $175,000 Culinary Arts
& Electronics Engineering: The
school will modernize its kitchen by purchasing a chef refrigerator, proof
boxes, gas stoves; and upgrade its electronics labs by purchasing fiber optic
equipment, robotics arms, hot air soldering stations, drone kits and 3D
printers.
Quincy High School, Quincy
- $141,200 Culinary Arts Program: The high school works with
local partners, including Quincy College, Bunker Hill Community College and Red
Sky Restaurant to ensure students find internships, apprenticeships and
employment opportunities. The high school will upgrade its facilities with
convection ovens, reach-in refrigerators, convection steamers and grills.
Roger L. Putnam Vocational
Technical Academy, Springfield - $250,000 Health Assisting and the Machine Tool Technology: The Springfield Public School District is planning to
launch a new after-school program that will provide 30 to 40 additional juniors
an opportunity to enroll in the Health Assisting and Machine Tool Technology
programs. The school will purchase workstations with interactive 3D anatomy and
physiology software, as well as manufacturing lathes and coordinated measuring
machine technology.
Salem High
School, $100,000, Programming
and Web Development: The high school will purchase
equipment to set up a programming and web development program for students.
St. Mary's Center for
Women and Children, Dorchester - $50,042 IT and Healthcare Workforce Training: The center will upgrade outdated equipment in the
computer labs for St. Mary’s Center’s education and training programs that
provide access to educational pathways and workforce skills development for
women with significant barriers to success.
Tech Foundry, Springfield
- $181,786 IT Help Desk and Field
Services Training: Tech Foundry
strengthens the regional IT eco-system through industry partnerships,
educational pathways, and work experience through a 16-week training program.
The training is rooted in hands-on learning and a four-week internship. The
grant will update the lab’s instructional equipment, workstations, furnishings,
and network infrastructure.
The Loop Lab, Cambridge -
$59,100 IT & Audio Video Tech
apprenticeship program: The Loop Lab
will launch a new AV tech apprenticeship program, the DAV (Diversity in AV)
Initiative in Greater Boston. Apprentices will earn certifications in the AV
industry to gain careers in broadcast, audio, and video equipment. The lab will
purchase computers, studio cameras, video software, equipment installation
tools, network switches, and editing workstations. Working with industry
partners, WBUR 90.9 FM, Audible, and AVIXA, students are able to find employment
opportunities or post-secondary education upon graduation from the program.
The Possible Project,
Cambridge - $200,000 IT Network
and Computer System Training Program: Students in the program build
experience in customer service or network computer systems through
project-based curriculum and then complete internship/apprenticeships with
industry partners. With the grant, the program will upgrade technology tools,
including large-format CNC cutters, high detail 3D printers and laser cutters)
that will provide a wider range of training opportunities.
Tri-County Regional
Vocational Technical High School, Franklin - $462,751 Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and
Refrigeration: The high school will
modernize its HVAC and Refrigeration lab and equipment to support students as
well as adults in evening certification classes.
University of
Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell - $500,000
Advanced Manufacturing Simulation & Training Center: UMass Lowell is
establishing an Advanced Manufacturing Simulation & Training Center that
will support underemployed workers, as well as high school and post-secondary
students with industry relevant manufacturing and engineering simulation
systems.
Upper Cape Cod Regional
Technical School, Bourne - $400,000 Veterinary
Assistants Program: The high school
will equip a new vocational/technical and training program for veterinary
assistants and laboratory animal caretakers. Both high school students and adult
learners will train on the digital X-ray machines, ultrasound machines, heart
monitors, and equipment to create a surgical environment.
Uxbridge High School,
Uxbridge - $75,000 Innovation
Pathways in Manufacturing, Information, and Environmental and Life Science: Uxbridge
High School will purchase workstations, hands-on instructional kits,
projectors, and 3D printers, that will support the school’s Innovation Pathways
in Manufacturing, Information Technology, and Environmental and Life Science.
Equipment will also support residents in Southern Worcester County through
partnerships with other area high schools, including Blackstone-Millville,
Sutton, Hopedale, and Northbridge.
Watertown High School,
Watertown - $150,000 Engineering
Technology: Students in the engineering program benefit from partnerships
with MassBay Community College, Markforged, Analog Devices, MIT Lincoln
Laboratory, Boston Dynamics, and the Metro-North MassHire Board.
West Springfield High
School, West Springfield - $63,376 Manufacturing
Innovation Pathway: The high school
will purchase an industrial 3D printer to complement the advanced manufacturing
curriculum in the Innovation Pathways program. CNC machinist is one of the
highest in-demand occupations in Hampden County. Students receive high-quality
training and experience with high-demand skills on new technologies.
Whittier Regional
Vocational Technical High School, Haverhill - $300,000 Engineering and CAD Drafting: The high school
and Northern Essex Community College are working together to create a
STEM-based program at the Haverhill campus that will give high school students
and adult learners experience in engineering and CAD drafting.
Woburn Memorial High
School, Woburn - $100,000 Innovation
Pathway Programs: Manufacturing & Environmental and Life Sciences: The high
school is launching two Innovation Pathway Programs - Advanced Manufacturing
and Environmental and Life Sciences. The manufacturing pathway includes Project
Lead The Way (PLTW) classes in engineering, computer science, AutoCAD,
Drafting, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, and Electronics. With the grant,
the Environmental and Life Sciences lab will be outfitted with new microscopes,
incubators, orbital shakers, and conversion style tables to convert a classroom
to a lab setting.
