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UHS Earns $200,000 Skills Capital Grant
Uxbridge High School earns $200,000 Skills Capital Grant from
Baker-Polito Administration
GLOUCESTER – Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito visited the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI) on Tuesday, February 25 to announce $14.6 million in Skills Capital Grant awards to 54 educational institutions to update equipment and expand student enrollment in programs that provide career education, including a $200,000 grant to Uxbridge High School.
“Skills Capital Grants help preserve the Commonwealth’s talent pipeline by funding expanded enrollment and equipment upgrades at educational institutions to provide more students with in-demand skills sought by employers,” said Governor Charlie Baker.
“We extend our gratitude and appreciation to the Baker-Polito administration for its continued support of our programs,” said Dr. Frank Tiano, Uxbridge’s Superintendent of Schools. “The opportunity to put industry-standard equipment in our students’ hands enables them to acquire skills that make them more college and career ready.”
“The Massachusetts economy is firing on all cylinders, yet there remains a tight job market when it comes to skilled jobs, and Skills Capital Grants have enabled thousands of students across the Commonwealth to gain knowledge and skills in order to be competitive in the job market,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.
“Throughout our economic development planning process last year, we heard repeatedly from business owners about job openings that remain unfilled due to the lack of skilled workers, and today’s Skills Capital Grants paired with the administration’s Career Tech Initiative will have a significant impact on the Commonwealth’s talent pipeline,” said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy.
“Several of these grants awarded in this round will support the expansion of after-school and evening vocational programs, aligned to the Governor’s new Career Technical Initiative in order to give more people opportunities for education and training in the trades,” said Secretary of Education James Peyser. “The Skills Capital Grants given to educational institutions over the last five years laid the groundwork for this new workforce initiative.”
Uxbridge High School’s Innovation Pathway programs in advanced manufacturing, information science, and biomedical science gives students college coursework and work experience in those fields. The equipment purchased with this award will further the capacity of students in design, manufacturing, and engineering with additional computer hardware, enhanced wireless access, 3D printing, and laser engraving – all technology needed to expand access to these growing programs and enable students to earn credentials in additive manufacturing, Adobe software, and engineering design.
Through Skills Capital Grants, schools have expanded their enrollment capacity in high-demand occupations, enabling more than 14,500 additional students to enroll in educational programs that are a priority for employers across Massachusetts. In the past two years, UHS has earned close to $500,000 in funding for equipment and installation. Additionally, the school has earned membership in the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools and the National CAPS Network (Center for Advanced Professional Studies). UHS is currently the only school in New England to have been offered membership in the CAPS network.
“Investment in our programming is validating,” said Uxbridge High School principal Michael Rubin. “We have teachers, industry partners, families, students, and a school community that see the value in preparing students for a variety of options beyond high school. We see this as an incredible and awesome responsibility and opportunity.”
The Skills Capital Grants are awarded by Governor Baker’s Workforce Skills Cabinet, which was created in 2015 to bring together the Secretariats of Education, Labor and Workforce Development, and Housing and Economic Development to align education, economic development and workforce policies in order to strategize around how to meet employers’ demand for skilled workers in every region of the Commonwealth.
The competitive grants are awarded to educational institutions that demonstrate partnerships with local businesses, as well as align curriculum and credentials with industry demand to maximize hiring opportunities in each region of the state. The 2018 Economic Development Bill, filed by the Governor and passed by the Legislature, established an additional $75 million in Skills Capital Grant funding.