Assabet administrators, staff, and School Committee members, along with legislators and local officials gathered at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School for a special celebration and announcement of Skills Capital Grant awards. (Photo Courtesy Assabet Valley Regional Vocational School District) 
Event attendees on a tour of the Computer Programming and Web Design lab. (Photo Courtesy Assabet Valley Regional Vocational School District) 
Attendees gather in Assabet’s student-operated restaurant The Epicurian for the special celebration. (Photo Courtesy Assabet Valley Regional Vocational School District) 
From left, Deputy Commissioner Regina Robinson, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones, Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler, Assabet sophomore Jacqueline Allen, School Committee Member Virginia Simms George, and Acting Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Russell Johnston. (Photo Courtesy Assabet Valley Regional Vocational School District)
MARLBOROUGH — Superintendent-Director Ernest F. Houle is pleased to announce that Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School has been awarded a $499,980 Skills Capital Grant by the Healey-Driscoll administration.
On Monday, June 10, Assabet Valley administrators, staff, School Committee members, legislators, and local officials gathered at Assabet’s student-operated restaurant The Epicurian for a special celebration.
The afternoon started with a tour of three Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, Computer Programming and Web Design, Cosmetology, and HVAC/R, all of which have used Skills Capital funding to improve their shops, buy new, state-of-the-art equipment, and overall provide Assabet students with a high-quality learning experience offering real-world opportunities.
Attendees viewed the spaces where students work, watched a student-programmed dancing robot, and even took a seat in the shampoo stations in the Cosmetology classroom.
They spoke with three students in the HVAC/R program, Jacquelyn Allen, Cecilia Robinson, and Ariana Bryce Rudd who shared how Skills Capital funding has impacted their learning.
Allen, Assabet sophomore and SkillsUSA Gold medalist, shared with the group: “This grant has improved our shop so much, and I thank you all for allowing my school and my peers this opportunity to grow.”
In attendance were Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones, Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler, Acting Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Russell Johnston, Deputy Commissioner Regina Robinson, Assistant Secretary for Career Education Bob LePage, and Skills Capital Grant Manager James Poplasky.
“This is one of the highlights of our work,” said Secretary Tutwiler. “Thank you to Superintendent Houle and the Assabet community; this is not the first time I’ve been here, and I continue to be impressed and inspired by what you’re doing to reimagine access to workforce development.”
“Interactive. Real-world. Relevant. This is what we want our learning to be,” said Acting Commissioner Johnston. “The highlight of this afternoon was hearing from Jackie, Ariana, and Cecilia, and we learned that Assabet students are taking accountability and finding empowerment in their learning. Assabet is leading the way in power skills like these, which will take them very far.”
Assabet has been awarded several Skills Capital Grants since fiscal year 2022, totaling $2,767,691, including nearly $500,000 from this round, which will support the school’s Automotive Technology and Electrical Wiring Technology programs to purchase training equipment aligned with current industry-standard technology and workforce demands.
“Our department continually strives to build and maintain a realistic, rigorous, and enriching automotive learning environment,” said Lead Automotive Technology Teacher Daniel Capuano. “This grant will allow us to fortify our learning space by purchasing up-to-date automotive service equipment and offer additional certifiable skills, which should enable students to secure employment more easily.”
“The purpose of technical education is to prepare students for their future endeavors. As an electrical wiring instructor, I hope that future includes a skilled trade, specifically the electrical trade. The grant funding we are fortunate to receive will enhance our ability to achieve this goal,” said Lead Electrical Wiring Instructor Bruce Long.
“It is Assabet’s honor and privilege to receive yet another Skills Capital Grant. This funding allows us the ability to provide the newest and most state-of-the-art equipment for our students, both in our daytime secondary and adult post-secondary programs at night, so they have the necessary experience when they enter the workforce,” said Superintendent Houle. “The fulfillment and pride we receive when our students succeed is the reason why we do what we do every day. Thank you all for your ongoing support.”