June 18
Program illustrates the power of collaboration with local manufacturers, preparing workers for Advanced Manufacturing jobs
Boston – The Boston Foundation is pleased to announce that North Shore Community College has been selected as the recipient of the 6th Annual Deval Patrick Prize for Community Colleges. NSCC was awarded the $50,000 prize in recognition of the Machining Training Program, a collaborative partnership between NSCC, technical training institutions and local employers to prepare unemployed or underemployed workers for advanced manufacturing jobs.
North Shore established the Machining Training Program in its current form in 2017, building upon established machining training efforts. The six-month, full-time certificate program combines foundational skills coursework at the college with hands-on technical training at local technical schools with career readiness components provided by the MassHire-North Shore Career Center. Local employers provide input into the curriculum and best practices, ensuring that students completing the program are well-matched for local advanced manufacturing jobs. The program boasts a nearly 100% employment rate.
“COVID-19 has placed unprecedented strain on our workforce and economy – but it is also challenging labor markets to open opportunities for innovation and collaboration,” said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. “Our region’s community colleges are playing a critical role in developing our future workforce, and programs like the Machining Training Program can serve as a model for educators and employers to work together and prepare young people for family-sustaining jobs with living wages.”
“On behalf of North Shore Community College, I thank the Patrick Prize committee for this award,” said Dr. Patricia A. Gentile, President of North Shore Community College. “The Machining Training program has been the product of the effort of a number of partners, and we are pleased to share the award with them. Together with employers, technical training providers, NAMC (the Northeast Advanced Manufacturing program) and the dedicated work of the people at the heart of this program – the students who exhibit their dedication, hard work and tenacity every day – we are able to create opportunities for men and women to explore new careers.”
Currently, about 40 students annually complete the program. The Machining Training Program is also being used as the model for a regional workforce development program - the Advanced Manufacturing Expansion Program (AMTEP), funded by a grant from the GE Foundation, which will greatly expand the Advanced Manufacturing pipeline with the goal to train more than 900 participants by 2024, including unemployed and underemployed adults and underrepresented populations such as veterans, people of color, women, those without high school credentials, and non-native speakers of English.
The award comes as Dr. Gentile closes out seven years as President of North Shore Community College, retiring from the college effective July 6.
“While Dr. Gentile’s leadership will be sorely missed, we are proud to be able to recognize the impact of her work with this award,” added Grogan. “She has left a lasting imprint on the college, its work and the North Shore region.”
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The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston’s community foundation, is one of the largest community foundations in the nation, with net assets of more than $1 billion. In 2017, the Foundation and its donors paid $130 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of more than $194 million. The Foundation is a close partner in philanthropy with its donors, with more than 1,000 separate charitable funds established either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. It also serves as a major civic leader, think tank and advocacy organization, commissioning research into the most critical issues of our time and helping to shape public policy designed to advance opportunity for everyone in Greater Boston. The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), a distinct operating unit of the Foundation, designs and implements customized philanthropic strategies for families, foundations and corporations around the globe. For more information about the Boston Foundation and TPI, visit tbf.org or call 617-338-1700.