Photo Caption: Teague O’Leary, a junior from Ayer, and Catarina Silva, a junior from Pepperell, give Kody a bath in the Veterinary Assisting program at Nashoba Tech.
Nashoba Tech received the maximum award available -- $2.5 million – in the latest round of Skills Capital Grants.
Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Education Secretary James Peyser announced the grants during a recent visit to Westfield Technical Academy.
The high schools receiving grants will make strategic investments over the next two years to grow their career-education programs to provide more learning opportunities for high-school students and adult learners, with several schools, including Nashoba Tech, expanding their Career Technical Initiative adult-training programs to offer more learning opportunities in the late afternoon and evening.
According to the Baker Administration, over the next five years, the grant awards will directly impact about 10,000 students across 38 different programs.
Nashoba Tech will split the $2.5 million award between the Electrical Technology and Veterinary Assisting programs – the two largest and fastest-growing technical programs at the Westford-based school.
Nashoba Tech Superintendent Dr. Denise Pigeon said the school is overwhelmed by the commitment to technical education shown by the Baker Administration during its eight years in office.
“We are so thankful and grateful to Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito for their acknowledgment of the role technical education plays in the Commonwealth,” Dr. Pigeon said. “There is a very high demand for electricians and veterinary assistants, and this grant will allow us to expand both programs to more adequately prepare our students and adult learners for careers in those fields.”
With the funding, Nashoba Tech plans to modernize and expand instructional lab space in the Electrical and Veterinary Assisting programs to increase enrollment by 50 percent, creating the capability to support 180 high-school students and expand the school’s Career Technical Initiative programs for adults.
In all, 14 high schools across Massachusetts received a total of $24 million through the Skills Capital Grants program.
“Since taking office, our administration has made significant investments through the Skills Capital Grant program to help more young people and adults gain the education, training and skills necessary for successful careers in rapidly growing industry sectors,” Baker said. “We are proud of the impact these grants have had on both students’ educations and their futures in the Massachusetts workforce.”
The Skills Capital Grant program was originally launched in 2015 with the goal of replacing outdated equipment and technology, mainly at technical high schools and community colleges. Since then, the program has evolved into a crucial component of local workforce training efforts by expanding the number of young people and adults trained and experienced with the newest technologies used by local employers.”
Daniel Keith, left, a junior from Westford, and Victor Dejesus, a junior from Chelmsford, work in the Electrical Technology program at Nashoba Tech.