State Leaders to Formally Launch HHS Workforce Skills Program

 Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.

The formal launch of Career Technical Education (CTE) programs at Haverhill High School (HHS) is drawing Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and other Baker administration leaders to a ribbon cutting event Thursday at the high school.

Polito; Secretary of Education James Peyser; Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Ronald Walker II; and Secretary of Housing & Workforce Development Jay Ash join Rep. Brian S. Dempsey of Haverhill, House Ways and Means Committee chairman, and Haverhill school leaders to “celebrate” a $218,671 state Workforce Skills Capital Grant, according to Principal Beth Kitsos. It was awarded, as WHAV reported last February, as part of an initiative from the governor’s Workforce Skills Cabinet. The program “seeks to align education, workforce and economic development strategies across the state.” In June, WHAV also reported the school department, over the summer, offered HHS students enrollment in CTE programs for the current school year. Offerings in “Healthcare Occupations” and in “Programming and Web Development” were open to “any eighth or ninth grade student who is a student in Haverhill High School…subject to the availability of openings” and other criteria.

“Healthcare workers make a positive impact on patients’ lives by providing clinical support to a healthcare team in medical offices and clinics. They provide direct patient care, collect and prepare lab specimens, perform basic tests and update medical records. Students may be eligible for professional certifications such as EMT (emergency medical technician) or CNA (certified nursing assistant),” an HPS statement in June said. “Programmers use algorithms and logic to design, write, test and debug code that is used to control computer systems and build apps. Web developers use code to build and control the behavior of websites.”

The programs “offer choice and opportunity to students who would otherwise be denied admission to a vocational program,” according to the school department.  Plans last February included purchasing a suite of career technical training equipment, including new computers, 3D printers, robotics kits and medical training equipment, in order to expand training in technology, computer programming and web development. The grant was to also provide new early-college Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs for at-risk students.

Workforce Skills Capital Grant Program money can be used for vocational-technical education and training equipment purchases that connect Massachusetts students and residents to economic opportunities in high-demand industries.

3 thoughts on “State Leaders to Formally Launch HHS Workforce Skills Program

  1. Duncan I agree. The H1B program is out of control in this country. Much of it is due to corporate political money buying Washington. The large corporations want huge favors for their millions in donations and thats increasing the amount of really basically the legal importing of slaves. Meanwhile that college education mom and dad funded with the 100 to 200K from their retirement savings that they worked for all their lives is worthless!

  2. “Programming and Web Development” “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs” –

    Poor students. Wait until they find out jobs in these industries are in full retreat for Americans and in full growth mode for H-1B Visa Workers, Outsourcing/Off-shore outfitters. Sure start-ups and other companies promise jobs in exchange for tax breaks/credits, what they don’t tell you is those jobs are for anyone but Americans.

    So far for 2016, Massachusetts has over 18K “Certified” H-1B Visa Workers, including throughout The Merrimack Valley. They are paid cheaper salaires than their American counterparts, companies don’t have to pay benefits (i.e. HEALTHCARE) to contractors/outsource employees, and H-1B workers don’t complain! Companies like Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, all want more of them, while companies like IBM rid themselves of older, skilled, AMERICAN workers.

    STEM, the fraud upon our youth and American Workers strikes again.

    http://valleypatriot.com/h-1b-foreign-workers-are-destroying-merrimack-valley-economy/