CANTON — Superintendent Jill Rossetti is pleased to announce that Blue Hills Regional Technical School has been awarded funding as part of a state grant program aimed to bolster career technical education in the state.
On Friday, July 22, the Baker-Polito Administration announced it was awarding more than $32 million in grants to modernize equipment at career technical programs and expand training opportunities for young people and adults as part of the administration’s multi-year effort to address skills gaps so more residents can pursue careers in growing industries and employers can hire qualified workers to grow their businesses.
As part of this funding, Blue Hills Regional Technical School will be awarded $544,000 to provide training to 84 participants in the following pathways: Groundskeeping, Electrical, Welding and Collision Repair. Employer partnerships include Kessler Machine & Fabrication, Inc.; Amramp; Lynch Landscape and Tree; By the Yard Landscape; Avenue Auto Body; O’Connell’s Body Works, Inc.; Akiki AutoBody; Northeast Electrical & Mechanical Services, Inc.; Weiss Sheet Metal; Modern Auto Body; and Thomas Auto Body.
The Governor’s office announced $22 million in Skills Capital grants awarded to 70 educational institutions, and an additional $10 million awarded to 23 vocational schools to expand programs for both young people and adults as part of the Career Technical Initiative (CTI). This round of CTI grants will help train more than 1,600 people for new careers in construction, manufacturing and other trades with growing workforce demands.
“I would like to thank the Baker-Polito Administration for awarding Blue Hills this generous grant and our very own Michelle Resendes and Dwight Seaman for their diligent working in writing, researching and working alongside community partners to secure this grant,” said Superintendent Rossetti. “This funding will allow Blue Hills to expand the vocational and technical programs for our adult learners while providing the best possible education for them through hands-on experience and opportunities with our community partners.”
Added Business Manager Michelle Resendes, “We’re excited for this opportunity to take part in bridging the gap in training amongst our communities. With the support of Mass Hire and our local industry partners, our Continuing Education Director Dwight Seaman was able to really hone in on our communities’ training needs and develop these programs accordingly.”
Skills Capital grants and Career Technical Initiative 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 to strategize around how to meet employers’ demand for skilled workers in every region of the Commonwealth.
“Since our administration launched these critically important programs, high schools, colleges and other educational institutions throughout the Commonwealth have created and expanded numerous training programs with Skills Capital Grants and developed new training opportunities for young people and adults with the Career Technical Initiative,” said Governor Charlie Baker in a statement. “We are very proud of the lasting impact these grants will have on the Massachusetts workforce and the future of the Commonwealth as they prepare the next generation of innovative leaders in cutting-edge industries.”
The $10 million in grants announced as part of the Career Technical Initiative will fund new CTI programs or expand existing programs at vocational high schools in partnership with MassHire Career Centers and Workforce Boards. Click here to see the full list of Career Technical Initiative awards.
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