HOLYOKE, SPRINGFIELD — Holyoke Community College (HCC) and Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will jointly host a series of online workshops in June and July for area employers who want to explore programs, services, and grant-funded workforce-training opportunities to boost their small businesses.
Each of the three, 45-minute remote sessions will meet from 9 to 9:45 a.m. and focus on a different government funding source.
On June 18, Workforce Training Fund Outreach Manager Kristen Rayne will provide an overview of grant programs. On June 25, Oreste Varela, branch manager for the U.S. Small Business Administration office in Springfield, will talk about SBA programs and services available to prospective and current entrepreneurs who need assistance starting or expanding their businesses. On July 2, Melissa Scibelli, director of Workforce Development Programs for MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board, will discuss the Registered Apprenticeship program, an innovative, work-based learning model for new hires and incumbent employees that provides funds to assist businesses in closing critical workforce-gap shortages through on-the-job learning and related technical industry training.
The Small Business Resource Series is being offered by HCC and STCC through their Training and Workforce Options (TWO) partnership.
“COVID-19 is having a powerful impact on the workforce and our economy,” said Sharon Grundel, director of corporate training for TWO. “To emerge stronger, businesses really need to start retooling how they operate now, and that includes retraining their workforce to meet new workplace demands. Through TWO, HCC and STCC are at the crossroads of industry and education and perfectly positioned to assist.”
Advance registration is required for all sessions. To register, visit hcc.edu/business-series. Log-in information for each remote session will be supplied after registration is complete.
