Governor Charlie Baker Visits Whittier Tech for Opening of New Machine Tech Shop

HAVERHILL — Superintendent Maureen Lynch is pleased to announce that Gov. Charlie Baker attended the opening of Whittier Tech’s new Machine Technology shop last week.

Over the last six months, the shop has undergone a $495,000 redesign, made possible by an award from the competitive Massachusetts Skills Capital Grant Program. Grant allocations are given to vocational schools to increase the capacity and quality of training and education.

On Thursday, Sept. 14, at 10:30 a.m., 1,300 students gathered in the school’s auditorium to give Gov. Baker the Wildcat welcome prior to the unveiling of the new 6,868-square foot shop. The newly revamped machine tech shop is designed to look like a modern manufacturing facility with new flooring, ceiling, lighting and 23 new machines.

Following a the school-wide welcome and thank you, Gov. Baker, school officials and the 24 machine tech students headed downstairs to the shop for a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Superintendent Lynch opened the ceremony, thanking Gov. Baker and his team for giving Whittier the resources to revamp the shop.

“Because of the grant, we have been able to transform our program from a place where students could learn the basic skills to be successful in a machine shop to a place where students will learn the 21st century, computer-driven machining technology needed to excel in today’s advanced manufacturing careers,” Superintendent Lynch said. “Thank you Governor Baker for making this happen.”

Gov. Baker stated that with 21st century equipment, the machine tech program becomes all the more appealing to students, who will have the needed skills to enter the field following graduation.

“Our administration’s Workforce Skills Capital Grants help vocational students at various educational levels become successful through enhanced training and teaching experiences related to high-demand sectors across the Commonwealth,” Gov. Charlie Baker said. “We are extremely excited to be able to issue this award to Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School and we look forward to seeing the progress that students make going forward as a result of this investment.”

Whittier’s Machine Technology program works with students on technical machine shop theory, knowledge and the use of lathes, saws, vertical and horizontal milling machines, and surface and cylindrical grinders to manufacture products and master precision machines.

The shop’s new machines are equipped with the latest computer-driven Computer Numerical Control (CNC) components, which allow students to better convert computer-aided designs into numbers that are then graphed to control the movement of the cutter. Students can even receive texts from WiFi-enabled machines once a task is completed.

Several other groups of students will also benefit from the new shop, including those at Northern Essex Community College enrolled in machining courses, those in Whittier’s night school courses and those who are taking job training classes offered by the ValleyWorks Career Center run by the Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Board.

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