A note from the Workforce Board Staff:

In case you missed this, let’s congratulate Bristol Community College and Old Colony Regional Vocational High School on their recent Skills Capital Grant Awards presented by our esteemed Governor Charlie Baker.

Bristol Community CollegeBristol received $861,097 to further its Off Shore Wind training initiative, the College was awarded a two-year grant to purchase equipment to support the Global Wind Organization Basic Safety Training and Basic Technical Training for careers in this emerging industry. Each training area is certified by the Global Wind Organization (GWO) and successful graduates earn a Basic Safety and Technical Training certificate, valid for two years and a required workforce credential for offshore wind occupations. A skilled workforce in the Off-Shore Wind industry is projected to be needed by 2020.

Old Colony Regional Voc Tech logoOld Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School – $275,000: The school plans to strengthen its advanced manufacturing program for adults and high school students to develop skills needed for careers in manufacturing, construction, emerging industries, and professional, scientific and technical services. Old Colony will partner with MassHire and industry partners, including AccuRounds, to train unemployed and underemployed adult learners in the Southeastern region.

As is the necessary case, the Workforce Board staff provided Letters of Support for both initiatives.  In the past year we have assisted New Bedford, Greater New Bedford Voke, Old Colony Voke high schools and Bristol CC to access $1,961,097 in Skills Capital Grants to provide students and adults access to state of the art training equipment in the Workforce Board’s ongoing effort to vastly improve our workforce system.  To date, we have created workforce partnerships that has resulted in grant awards totaling in excess of $8,000,000.

Many thanks to entire Board for supporting our efforts at the staff level.

JimO

Jim Oliveira

James D. Oliveira
Executive Director/CEO
Quest Center for Innovation | 1213 Purchase Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
T 508.979.1504 x 114
jim@MassHireGreaterNewBedford.com