Whittier Tech, GLTS and Essex North Shore Share in State Career Technical Initiative Grants

Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School. (Jay Saulnier photograph for WHAV News.)

Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School, Greater Lawrence Technical School and Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School recently shared in $2.1 million in state grants.

The money is part of the state’s Career Technical Initiative, supporting additional training programs for students and adults. Grants support training and skill-building programs in construction, trades and manufacturing across 23 different career pathways. Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito named the recipients during a visit to Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School.

“As we vaccinate our residents and reopen our economy, our administration remains focused on supporting businesses and workers to power our recovery, and the Career Technical Initiative will be a crucial part of that effort,” said Baker. “Our Administration was committed to expanding these training opportunities for students and adults across the Commonwealth before the pandemic, and now this initiative takes on added importance as a crucial tool to connect people with new job opportunities and meet the needs of our employers.”

Whittier Tech was awarded $90,000 to provide training and placement services to prepare unemployed and underemployed participants for CNC machine operator and welder positions. Grant partners include MassHire Merrimack Valley Career Center and Workforce Board, Arwood Machine, Magellan Aerospace, Fairview Machine, Aero Manufacturing, Metacrafters, East Coast Welding and Metal Fabrication and Metal Tronics.

Greater Lawrence Tech. is receiving $375,000 to provide training and placement services to prepare unemployed and underemployed participants for biotech lab technician, carpenter, electricians, HVAC and plumber positions. Their grant partners include MassHire Merrimack Valley Career Center and Workforce Board, Jones General Contractors, Ginkgo Bioworks, All-Pro Electricians, Capeless Plumbing and Heating, Marceau Construction Corp., CentiMark Corporation, National Mechanical Service, Central Cooling and Heating, Correct Temp HVAC and Millipore Sigma.

Essex North Shore was given $540,000. It is working to train people for jobs in Welding, electrical technician, BioLab technician, automotive services technicians, HVAC, plumber, and construction craft positions. Partners include MassHire North Shore Workforce Board and Career Centers, F.W. Webb, Cranney Home Services, National Mechanical Service, Tremblay Heating, Kelley Automotive Group, Mini of Peabody, Lyon Waugh Auto Group, Groom Construction, Menino Construction, Bilo Plumbing and Heating, Breen Sullivan Mechanical Services, Alem Metal, Krohne, Cotter Brothers Corporation, Local 22 Construction and General Laborer’s Union, Harmonic Drive, Innovent Technologies and New England Biolabs.

Launched in January 2020, the Career Technical Initiative aims to train an additional 20,000 skilled trades workers over the next four years to help close skills gaps and meet the needs of businesses across the Commonwealth. The program aims to provide more Massachusetts residents access to career technical training using the state’s existing resources at vocational high schools, while simultaneously helping businesses grow by increasing the population of skilled workers able to be employed in trade and construction jobs.

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