COURTESY PHOTO
From left, Education secretary James Peyser, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Catherine C. Latham, Deputy superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, Tech principal Robert Buontempo, Co-op Education coordinator Bonnie Carr, Gov. Charlie Baker and Workforce Development secretary Ron Walker.
By PAUL HALLORAN
LYNN — A $333,293 state Workforce Skills Capital Grant awarded to Lynn Vocational Technical Institute will add an information technology (IT) program and significantly upgrade its machining program.
Tech was one of 31 educational institutions to receive grants totaling $11.8 million. School Superintendent Dr. Catherine C. Latham, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, Tech Director Robert Buontempo and Cooperative Education Coordinator Bonnie Carr were on hand Friday in Tyngsborough to represent the city at an awards ceremony.
“Our vision has been to open some new programs,” Buontempo said, noting that half of the grant money will be used to establish the IT course of study. “This will be seed money for that. We’re very excited.”
The other half of the grant money will be used to upgrade equipment in the machining program, said Buontempo, who said the grant application had to show partnerships with local businesses and links to higher learning that would lead to building a skilled workforce and good-paying jobs in these areas.
“This grant will lead to increased and enhanced educational opportunities at Lynn Tech,” Latham said. “We are very grateful that the governor and his administration have made vocational education a priority.”
Tech partnered with the North Shore Workforce Investment Board, the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce, North Shore Community College and the Lynn Economic Development Committee. The adult education program will also benefit from the new and expanded offerings.
“The governor and his team see the enormous potential in investing in tech schools as key players in building a skilled workforce in Massachusetts,” Buontempo said. “We plan to apply to get our HVAC program started when the opportunity arises.”
The Workforce Skills Capital Grants program was created by the Baker-Polito Administration last year to assist educational institutions in demonstrating partnerships with industry and aligning curriculum and credentials with local businesses’ demand, maximizing planning objectives and hiring or internship opportunities regionally.
“These investments have a major impact for the educational institutions training our workforce and the students who stand to benefit from enhanced skills and career paths,” said Gov. Baker.
To date, the state has awarded more than $24 million in Workforce Skills Capital Grants to 63 institutions, improving programs that affect more than 7,100 students per year. The economic development bill signed by Baker last year includes $45 million for the awards over the next three years to increase the capacity and quality of vocational educational programs.
In addition, North Shore Community College received a grant of $111,455 to purchase equipment to create a healthcare technical education program that includes a universal health lab at the Lynn campus.
The governor was joined during the ceremony by the Workforce Skills cabinet he established shortly after taking office, including Labor and Workforce Development secretary Ronald L. Walker, II, Education secretary James Peyser, and Housing and Economic Development secretary Jay Ash.
The cabinet, which seeks to align education, workforce and economic development strategies and improve job opportunities, established the Workforce Skills Capital Grant program.
“The goal of these grants is to update capital equipment, expand capacity, and launch new programs at educational institutions in order to create high-quality career pathways for more people across the Commonwealth,” said Peyser. “These grants give students and adult learners more opportunities to be successful through training, education and experience in fields that are growing and in demand.”
