NORTH ADAMS, TURNERS FALLS — As part of the Healey-Driscoll administration’s celebration of 413 Day, Secretary of Education Stephen Zrike visited Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in North Adams and Franklin County Technical School in Turners Falls on April 14. These visits highlighted ways the administration is working to help students be career-ready through cost-free opportunities to earn high-value, industry-recognized credentials and free and affordable higher education credits and degrees.
“As secretary, one of my focus areas is access to career-connected learning at all ages. In Massachusetts, we want to make sure that students are set up for the workforce of today and tomorrow,” Zrike said. “It was a pleasure to visit MCLA and Franklin County Technical School to see how early college, career tech programs, and financial aid expansion are supporting students to discover their career paths in affordable ways.”
Zrike and Higher Education Deputy Commissioner Michael Dannenberg joined MCLA President James Birge for a roundtable discussion on higher education affordability. The conversation included students accessing higher education through Gov. Maura Healey’s expansion of state financial aid, as well as local Early College students from Drury High School.
Through this financial aid expansion, middle-income students have their cost of tuition and fees cut in half, and low-income students eligible for federal Pell grants have their tuition, fees, books, and supplies paid for by state and federal financial aid. MCLA’s early college partnership with Drury High School provides students with the opportunity to earn college credits cost-free while still in high school, expanding access and reducing the cost of a college degree.
“Affordability is not just a policy conversation; it is a deeply personal one for our students and their families,” Birge said. “We are grateful to Secretary Zrike and Deputy Commissioner Dannenberg for coming to North Adams to hear directly from the people these programs are designed to serve. At MCLA, we see every day how financial aid and early college access change the trajectory of a student’s life, and we are proud to be part of that story.”
Timothy Callahan, superintendent of North Adams Public Schools, noted that “the difference between a college degree and a high school diploma is $1.2 million in Berkshire County. That’s how much more college graduates make over the course of their career in vital employment sectors like education, health care, and social assistance. The partnership between MCLA and the North Adams Public Schools has been a game-changer for the community, as we work to ensure that almost all of our Drury High School graduates leave high school with a significant number of college credits completed, making a low-cost, nearly debt-free college degree a real possibility.”
Zrike and Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Deputy Commissioner Lauren Woo toured Franklin County Technical School’s career technical education (CTE) programs, which equip students with the skills they need to succeed in today’s job market, including at least 900 hours of immersive learning time, cooperative education in partnership with local employers, and opportunities to earn high-value, industry-recognized credentials.
Franklin County Technical School received the Federal Aviation Administration’s certification of its aviation maintenance technology program this past January and is working toward approval as a DESE-designated CTE aviation program. Administrative officials toured its new, 12,000-square-foot aviation hangar and flight simulator, and learned about its state-of-the-art aviation training modules. Certified aviation mechanics are in high demand, and salaries can run from $50,000 to more than $200,000.
