CANTON — Superintendent Jill Rossetti is pleased to share that Blue Hills Regional Technical School has been awarded a $200,000 Skills Capital grant from the Baker-Polito Administration.
The funding will allow the Blue Hills Engineering Technology program to enhance its engineering and drafting/CAD programs. The grant will also fund the purchases of new robotics equipment, a CNC mill, an additive manufacturing 3-D printer and other upgrades. By improving the program with the grant funds, the school will help students meet increasing industry demand for skilled workers in the engineering profession.
“We are thankful to the Baker-Polito Administration for their continued support of vocational technical programs throughout the state,” Superintendent Rossetti said. “Through their generous Skills Capital Grant Program our district will be able to further enhance our programs for our students with industry-standard equipment that will greater equip them will the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their future careers.”
Vocational Director Michelle Sylvia said, “I’m excited for the opportunities our students have with the addition of the new equipment. Two industry partners, Hytek Automation Solutions (Avon) and Prodrive (Canton) have pledged to hire students who are skilled in the new technologies in robotics and additive manufacturing, citing that there is a dire need for skilled workers in these industries. This is an exciting opportunity for our students.”
Blue Hills Regional Technical School is one of 47 educational institutions who were awarded Skills Capital grants by the Baker-Polito administration. In all, $9.7 million in funds were allocated to support the purchase of updated equipment and the growth of student enrollment in career and technical education programs.
Skills Capital grants are awarded to educational institutions that are able to showcase their partnerships with local businesses and whose curriculum and credentials seek to meet the demand of growing industries in the Commonwealth.
Through its Skills Capital grants, the Baker-Polito administration has worked to increase the number of students enrolled in programs where they can learn and train for occupations in high-demand careers. More than 300 educational programs have received financial support from the Skills Capital grant initiative, which has awarded approximately $92 million and is overseen by Gov. Baker’s Workforce Skills Cabinet.
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