Workforce Development Archives - Page 4 of 6

BOSTON — Seven Massachusetts employers — including one in Western Mass. — were awarded grants, totaling more than $100,000, to train 552 workers to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker II announced.

The Department of Industrial Accidents Office of Safety administers and manages the Workplace Safety Training and Education Grant program to promote safe, healthy workplace conditions through training, education, and other preventative programs for employers and employees covered by the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Law.

North Adams-based Berkshire Family & Individual Resources, a nonprofit, human-service organization providing support services for adults and children with disabilities, autism, and traumatic brain injuries, was awarded $10,165. Other grants were awarded to organizations in Lawrence, Dorchester, Roxbury, Boston, Wellesley, and Pepperell.

“It’s not just employers and workers who pay the price for occupational fatalities, injuries, and illness. Society often bears the indirect costs of medical treatments and lost wages and productivity,” Gov. Charles Baker said.

Added Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, “making employers and workers aware of workplace hazards and developing safety precautions and protocols can go a long way in reducing the costs of workplace tragedies.”

With $800,000 budgeted annually for the safety grant program, the Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) has funded hundreds of programs that have educated thousands of employers and workers in the Commonwealth. The new round of grants will be the last given out this fiscal year.

“These grants have made Massachusetts workplaces safer and healthier for thousands of employees and simultaneously created opportunities for trained workers to move into new or higher-paying jobs,” Walker said.

Grant recipients can be awarded up to $25,000 per entity each fiscal year. Employers were awarded training grants through a competitive application process through DIA.

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff May 5, 2015

Company Notebook Departments

Springfield Falcons, Arizona Coyotes Announce Affiliation
SPRINGFIELD — The Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League and the Springfield Falcons will enter into a multi-year affiliation agreement beginning in the 2015-16 season, Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney and Falcons President Sarah Pompea jointly announced last week. Under this affiliation agreement, the Coyotes will move their American Hockey League prospects, along with coaching and training staff, from Portland, Maine to Springfield. The Falcons and Columbus Blue Jackets have mutually agreed to terminate the final year of their affiliation agreement upon completion of the 2014-15 season. “We are very pleased to partner with the Springfield Falcons,” said Maloney. “Springfield is one of the best hockey markets in the AHL and a great environment to develop our top prospects; we’re looking forward to a great relationship with the Falcons.” Said Pompea, “we are looking forward to starting this partnership with the Arizona Coyotes.”

Columbia Gas Files Rate-hike Request
WESTBOROUGH — Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., filed a petition with the Mass. Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to increase annual revenues by $49.3 million, representing a 9.86% increase in total operating revenues. The filing marks the beginning of the public process of rate setting for a utility, as required by the DPU. Evidentiary hearings on the filing will be held within the next several months. If approved by the DPU, the change would impact the annual gas bill for a typical residential heating customer by an average of $8.50 per month, or 7.5%, beginning March 1, 2016. The requested increase is necessary, said company officials, due to Columbia Gas of Massachusetts’ “intensive multi-year transformative actions to continuously improve its standards and practices in order to continue to provide natural-gas service to customers in a safe, reliable, and cost-effective basis.” The DPU decision is expected by February 29, 2016, with rates taking effect March 1, 2016.

Grant to Enhance Latino Studies at HCC
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College has been awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) that will enable the college to incorporate Latino studies material into humanities classes, a step faculty and administrators hope will lay the foundation for a full-fledged Latino Studies program at HCC. The $120,000 Bridging Cultures at Community Colleges grant was the largest awarded this year by the NEH to any college or university in Massachusetts, putting HCC on a prestigious list of recipients that also included Mount Holyoke College, Northeastern University, UMass, Amherst College, and Brandeis University. “Incorporating a Latino-studies perspective into a range of humanities courses will certainly serve the college’s sizable — and growing — Latino student population,” said Matt Reed, vice president of Academic Affairs, in support of the grant. “Students and faculty at large will also benefit from increased understanding, awareness, and appreciation of cultures that play such a significant role in our home community.” From 2009 to 2014, the number of Hispanic/Latino students at HCC rose from 1,477 to 1,879, a 27% increase. During the same period, Latino enrollment grew from 16% to 21% of the total student population. Nearly half, 48.4%, of Holyoke’s population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, according to the grant proposal.

BCC to Combine Pittsfield Locations
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announced that the institution will consolidate its downtown Pittsfield facilities beginning July 1. In an effort to streamline efficiencies, BCC will shift its operations from the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) to the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building when its agreement expires on June 30. In 2008, BCC and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) embarked on a unique initiative that involved utilizing available space at the ITC to allow students to access classes in downtown Pittsfield at the public-transportation hub. The effort was achieved with the assistance of former Congressman John Olver, the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, and the city of Pittsfield. BCC and MCLA expanded their downtown presence at the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building in 2011. Dubbed the Education Center at Conte, the location provides convenient access to public transportation. “As part of BCC and MCLA’s commitment to downtown Pittsfield, we will focus our efforts on one convenient location where we can provide high-quality educational services to our students,” said Vice President for Community Education & Workforce Development William Mulholland.

Springfield College Announces Enhanced Brand Strategy
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College revealed a new brand and visual identity system designed to showcase its rich heritage, varied academic offerings, and commitment to community service. Created to help present a unified message and look, the system includes a new logo and messaging that is built on the foundation of the college’s mission. “The affirmation of our core values of educating students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to others is more relevant today and more needed in today’s society than it was when we opened our doors in 1885,” said Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper. “The triangle in our new logo will remind us of what matters to this community.” The college partnered with the national branding agency Ologie for the comprehensive market-research study, which began in late 2013. The end result clarified the institution’s core values and crafted a unique and compelling message that the entire college community may use moving forward. One of the key insights that emerged from the process was the college’s focus on service to others. “It is the tie that binds together all of the Springfield College programs and departments,” said Cooper. A new college logo, which includes the words ‘Springfield College’ and an inverted triangle, exemplifies the college’s Humanics philosophy, which recognizes that an individual’s emotional, intellectual, and physical lives are interconnected. The inverted equilateral triangle utilized in the new logo dates back to former Springfield College faculty member Luther H. Gulick, a pioneer in physical education and recreation in the U.S., who first introduced the symbol to the college in 1891. “With such a vast and interesting history, the college must bring all of its stories together into a cohesive brand message that authentically expresses the identity of everyone and every program at Springfield College,” said Executive Director for Marketing and Communications Stephen Roulier. The new logo and messaging will appear in enrollment marketing and advertising. An expanded and redesigned website will launch at a later date.

Children’s Hospitals Announce Partnership in Pediatric Neurosurgery
SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Children’s Hospital and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center are furthering their clinical collaboration with a new partnership in pediatric neurosurgery. Dr. Jonathan Martin, a board-certified pediatric neurosurgeon employed by Connecticut Children’s, will see patients in Springfield at Baystate Children’s Hospital. Patients who require evaluation for brain- and nervous-system-related surgical care can now receive these services at Baystate Children’s Hospital as well as Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. The new partnership in pediatric neurosurgery advances a clinical collaboration that the two organizations announced last October, aimed at increasing the availability, sophistication, and coordination of pediatric services throughout the Connecticut River Valley. “We’re thrilled to announce that our collaboration is moving forward to provide sophisticated neurosurgical care for kids here in Western Mass.,” said Dr/ Charlotte Boney, chair of Pediatrics at Baystate Children’s Hospital. “This is the first time such services will be available in our community, and it’s another step forward in our efforts to provide the best in healthcare right here in the Pioneer Valley.” Added Dr. Fernando Ferrer, chief physician executive at Connecticut Children’s, “our main goal, in exploring a closer relationship with Baystate Children’s, has been to increase the availability of high-level, high-quality, and well-coordinated pediatric services to the Hartford and Springfield communities. Sharing clinical resources helps us achieve that goal and deliver greater value to our patients in the care we provide. We’re proud to be extending the reach of advanced neurosurgical care to the Pioneer Valley with Dr. Martin.” Connecticut Children’s is a clinical affiliate of the UConn School of Medicine; Baystate Children’s is part of the western campus of the Tufts University School of Medicine. Both facilities are Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and both have been recognized by U.S. News and World Report among the top U.S. children’s hospitals.

Vann Group, ROCG Announce Affiliation
SPRINGFIELD — The Vann Group, providers of strategic consulting and transactional advisory services, announced its recently formed affiliation with ROCG Americas, the leading business exit- and transition-planning specialist in North America. The first-of-its-kind affiliation will be mutually beneficial. It will provide the Vann Group with access to the extensive proprietary planning resources and expertise that ROCG has developed over the past 10 years, while ROCG continues to build its capabilities with the addition of Kevin and Michael Vann, a father-and-son team with a diverse set of skills and business experience. “As business transition specialists, we do much more than guide owners through the exit from their business,” said Ronen Shefer, CEO of ROCG. “We are unique because we focus on helping business owners achieve both their personal as well as their business goals, and the earlier we get involved, the chances of actually gaining a better quality of life and increasing business value improve tremendously. Ultimately, we help owners view and run their companies as investors would.” Michael Vann, CEO of the Vann Group, sees the affiliation as a great opportunity. “The ROCG team are the leaders in the succession/transition planning field; no one comes close. Their team has a tremendous amount of real-world experience, and they have developed an approach to planning that can’t be matched. Joining ROCG is a great opportunity for us to grow our planning practice and provide more value to our clients, because we’ll be able to access ROCG’s intellectual property and network of experienced transition specialists.”

Briefcase

By BusinessWest Staff May 5, 2015

Briefcase Departments

MassDOT Awards Contract for I-91 Viaduct Project
SPRINGFIELD — The Mass. Department of Transportation has awarded a contract for the rehabilitation of the I-91 viaduct structure in Springfield to the joint venture JF White-Schiavone. The bid price submitted by the joint venture was $148,000,150, making JF White-Schiavone the lowest responsible bidder for the project. There were three bids in total. The total project cost — which, in addition to the bid price, includes railroad flaggers, traffic details, protections against cost overruns, and an incentive clause for the contractor to expedite the work — is approximately $183,325,172. The approval of the contract allows for the replacement and rehabilitation of the concrete deck, repair and replacement of the supporting steel, and major improvements to drainage and lighting. First built in the 1960s, the viaduct has experienced significant deterioration and requires frequent emergency repairs, which exacerbates traffic congestion. While a long-term solution will be determined through a corridor-planning study currently under development, this contract guarantees lower maintenance costs and a reduction in the need for emergency repairs for the next 30 years. “The I-91 project will not only address immediate regional transportation needs for the Greater Springfield community, but will also ensure reduced maintenance costs and longer serviceability over the next three decades,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. Work on the project is anticipated to begin in early summer of this year and last through late February 2019, a duration of approximately three and a half years. Accelerated bridge-construction techniques will be used to reduce the number of traffic impacts and minimize disruptions to traffic flow caused by construction. The contract also provides for an incentive of $50,000 per day for each day the contractor completes the work early, up to 180 days, meaning the contractor would be eligible to receive a total of $9 million as a maximum bonus. Likewise, the contract has a disincentive clause that penalizes the contractor $50,000 for each day the work continues on past the expected point where drivers should be expected to have full use of the corridor. For the duration of the work, two travel lanes will be maintained in both directions; the on- and off-ramps within the project limits will be closed for the length of the project. Traffic seeking to access downtown streets will be diverted off I-91 before and after the project limits. The total cost for the project is being funded with 80% federal highway funding and 20% state funding.

Grant Awarded for Façade Improvements
SPRINGFIELD — DevelopSpringfield announced it has awarded a $20,000 grant for facade improvements to 595 Main Street, the new location for Glory Inc., a family-owned South End department store. The grant is made possible under DevelopSpringfield’s Corridor Storefront Improvement Program, which provides grants of up to $10,000 per storefront for exterior improvements to first-floor businesses located on State and Main streets in Springfield. Improvements to this space included renovations to multiple storefronts. The recently awarded funds were used to create larger window openings, as well as for new signage, lighting, and doors. “DevelopSpringfield is pleased to support the Lee family in the rehabilitation of new space for their successful retail business and in helping to support the reuse of a vacant commercial building on Main Street in the South End,” said Jay Minkarah, president and CEO of DevelopSpringfield. A $7,963 grant was also recently provided to Islazul Realty, LLC to support the substantial rehabilitation of a building located at 2547 Main St. in Springfield’s North End. The project included the installation of new, large windows, as well as a door, lighting, and an awning to convert a former commercial garage into professional office space that will attract additional service businesses to the neighborhood. DevelopSpringfield’s Corridor Storefront Improvement Program was established in 2009. Funds are no longer available to support new projects except for properties located on State Street in the Mason Square area and on Main Street in the North End. For more information on the Corridor Storefront Improvement Program, go to www.developspringfield.com and click on ‘programs’ or contact Minkarah at (413) 209-8808 or [email protected].

Unemployment Rates Decline Across State
BOSTON — The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development recently reported that the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for March were down in all 24 labor market areas over the month and over the year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). During March, 12 of the 15 areas for which job estimates are published recorded seasonal job gains, one area had no change in jobs, and the remaining two areas lost jobs. The largest job gains were in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Worcester, Springfield, Barnstable, and Peabody-Salem-Beverly areas. Taunton-Middleborough-Norton was the only area with no change in its jobs level. Since last March, all 15 areas added jobs, with the largest percentage gains in the Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead, Barnstable, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, Worcester, Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, and Peabody-Salem-Beverly areas. In order to compare the statewide rate to the local unemployment rates, BLS estimates that the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for March was 5.0%, down 0.4% from the revised February 2015 rate. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was down 1.3% from the March 2014 rate of 6.3%.

Construction Industry ‘Hits Soft Patch’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Even as construction firms added jobs in 41 states between March 2014 and March 2015, construction employment declined in 29 states and the District of Columbia between February and March, according to an analysis of Labor Department data by Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned that ongoing D.C. gridlock over how to pay for needed infrastructure improvements and declining demand for oil-related projects likely contributed to so many states shedding construction jobs last month. “While the year-over-year data remains relatively positive, it is troubling to see so many states losing construction jobs during the past month,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “As energy firms cancel or delay projects and congressional action on transportation and other infrastructure measures remains stalled, many construction firms appear to be reducing headcount, at least temporarily.” Added Stephen Sandherr, the association’s CEO, “the construction industry has clearly hit a soft patch. Passing needed infrastructure measures will certainly help keep construction employment levels from backsliding.”

Leadership Pioneer Valley Produces Positive Results
SPRINGFIELD — Leadership Pioneer Valley (LPV), now in the recruitment process for the fifth year of its 10-month leadership-development program, has seen positive results in careers and community as a result of participation in the program. LPV, working with Denny Consulting, has evaluated skills transfer, learning, and career and community impact of both program participants and alumni over the past four years. The overall satisfaction with the program has increased each year, with 100% rating the program as either ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ (54%). The LPV curriculum focuses on developing leadership skills, creating broader connections, and increasing regional understanding leading to action. Nearly all (99%) LPV participants reported having made meaningful connections with fellow participants, and 64% reported having made meaningful connections with other leaders met through opportunities provided by the program. Most participants reported statistically significant skill increases in collaboration, leading teams, creativity, confidence, managing conflict, and understanding personality types. Meanwhile, 76% of participants increased their cultural competency, and 53% of alumni have a new leadership role at work, while 29% have taken a new job with increased responsibility. Finally, 64% of alumni have joined a new board of directors, and 31% of alumni have initiated a new community project. “We are astounded to already be making such an impact in the region after only four years,” said Lora Wondolowski, executive director. “It is incredibly humbling to see the kind of changes that our alumni are making as a result of their participation in Leadership Pioneer Valley.”

State Voters Oppose Boston Olympic Bid
BOSTON — With a proposed referendum still more than 18 months away, Massachusetts voters are leaning against Boston’s bid to host the 2024 Olympic Summer Games, according to the latest survey from the Western New England University Polling Institute. The telephone survey of 427 registered voters, conducted April 6-14, found that only 40% of voters support Boston’s bid for the games, while 46% are opposed and 14% are undecided. The sample has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus five percentage points. The 427 registered voters were part of an overall sample of 499 adults, and among all adults sentiment was more closely divided; 42% of all adults support the proposal, while 43% are opposed, and 15% are undecided. The U.S. Olympic Committee has selected Boston as the nation’s entry in the competition to host the 2024 Olympic Summer Games. The International Olympic Committee is scheduled to select the host city in 2017. With other polls showing public support for the bid in decline, the private group that is developing the Olympic bid, Boston 2024, has agreed that it will not proceed with the bid unless voters approve of the idea in a statewide referendum in November 2016. Organizers also have said approval must come from voters in the Boston area in the referendum in order for the bid to go forward for consideration in 2017. The survey found a potentially ominous sign for Boston 2024 and other supporters of the bid. Voters who said they had heard a lot of information or some information about the bid were more likely to oppose it than were voters who had heard only a little or no information. Among voters who said they had heard a lot of information, 62% opposed the bid, and 27% supported it. Among those who had heard a little information, 45% supported the bid, and 39% were opposed. Among voters who said they had heard no information, 51% supported the bid, and 29% were opposed. “When you are trying to win public support for a proposal, you obviously hope your information is getting through to voters and that the information is persuasive,” said Tim Vercellotti, director of the Polling Institute and a professor of Political Science at Western New England University. “These results suggest that, as people get more information, they are less likely to support the bid. Boston 2024 appears to be losing the public-relations debate right now.”

Unemployment Rates Decline Across the State

By BusinessWest Staff April 22, 2015

Daily News

BOSTON — The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) reported that the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for March were down in all 24 labor market areas over the month and over the year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. During March, 12 of the 15 areas for which job estimates are published recorded seasonal job gains, one area had no change in jobs, and the remaining two areas lost jobs. The largest job gains were in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Worcester, Springfield, Barnstable Town and Peabody-Salem-Beverly areas. Taunton-Middleborough-Norton was the only area with no change in its jobs level. Since last March, all 15 areas added jobs with the largest percentage gains in the Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead, Barnstable Town, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, Worcester, Lawrence-Methuen Town-Salem and Peabody-Salem-Beverly areas. In order to compare the statewide rate to the local unemployment rates, BLS estimates that the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for March was 5.0%, down 0.4 of a percentage point from the revised February 2015 rate. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was down 1.3% from the March 2014 rate of 6.3%. The seasonally adjusted statewide March unemployment rate, released on April 16, 2015 was 4.8%, down 0.1 of a percentage point over the month and down 1.1% over the year. The rate was 0.7 of a percentage point below the national unemployment rate. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 10,500-job gain in March and an over-the-year gain of 60,200 jobs. The labor force, unemployment rates and jobs estimates for Massachusetts, and for every other state, are based on several different statistical methodologies specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

Berkshire Community College to Combine Downtown Pittsfield Locations

By BusinessWest Staff April 22, 2015

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announced that the institution will consolidate its downtown Pittsfield facilities beginning July 1. In an effort to streamline efficiencies, BCC will shift its operations from the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) to the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building when its agreement expires June 30. In 2008, BCC and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) embarked on a unique initiative that involved utilizing available space at the ITC to allow students to access classes in downtown Pittsfield at the public transportation hub. The effort was achieved with the assistance of former Congressman John Olver, the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) and the City of Pittsfield. BCC and MCLA expanded their downtown presence at the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building in 2011. Dubbed the Education Center at Conte, the location provides convenient access to public transportation.

“As part of BCC and MCLA’s commitment to downtown Pittsfield, we will focus our efforts on one convenient location where we can provide high-quality educational services to our students,” said Vice President for Community Education & Workforce Development William Mulholland. “The number of students, businesses, and the general public that were exposed to the BRTA and BCC through the cooperative venture in the ITC over the past seven years is immeasurable,” said BRTA Administrator Robert Malnati. “BCC and the BRTA have been and will continue to be collaborative partners in downtown Pittsfield.”

BCC’s Office of Community Education & Workforce Development will relocate to the Education Center at Conte beginning in June. BCC’s main campus located on West Street in Pittsfield will undergo a $32 million upgrade including substantial building renovations, a community turf athletic field and resurfaced parking lots and access roads. The centerpiece of the campus enhancements will occur at Hawthorne and Melville Halls, BCC’s two main academic buildings. Renovations to Hawthorne Hall will begin in May with Melville to follow January 2016.

Unemployment Rates Largely Down Across Massachusetts

By BusinessWest Staff March 26, 2015

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for February were down in 17 labor market areas, unchanged in four areas, and up in three areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Compared with February 2014, over the year, unemployment rates were down in all of the labor market areas.

During February, four of the 15 areas for which job estimates are published recorded seasonal job gains, one had no change in jobs, and the remaining 10 areas lost jobs. The largest job gains were in the Springfield, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, Worcester, and Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford areas. New Bedford was the only area to have no change in its jobs level. Since last February, all 15 areas added jobs, with the largest percentage gains in the Barnstable, Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead, New Bedford, Leominster-Gardner, and Lawrence-Methuen Town-Salem areas.

In order to compare the statewide rate to the local unemployment rates, BLS estimates the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for February was 5.4%, down 0.2% from the revised January 2015 rate. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was down 1.2% from the February 2014 rate of 6.6%.

The seasonally adjusted statewide February unemployment rate, released on March 19, was 4.9%, down 0.2% over the month and down 1.1% over the year. The rate was 0.6% below the national unemployment rate. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed an 800-job gain in February and an over-the-year gain of 58,100 jobs.

The labor force, unemployment rates, and job estimates for Massachusetts, and for every other state, are based on several different statistical methodologies specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor-market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

February Unemployment Rate in Massachusetts Drops to 4.9%

By BusinessWest Staff March 20, 2015

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) released preliminary February 2015 estimates that show the Massachusetts total unemployment rate dropped to 4.9% from the January rate of 5.1%, a 0.2% decrease. Over the year, the unemployment rate fell by 1.1% from 6.0% in February 2014.

The share of working-age residents employed or unemployed, also known as the labor participation rate, was 65.9%, an increase of 0.3% since January. Compared with February 2014, the labor participation rate increased a full percentage point over the year. February 2015 estimates show that 3,430,500 residents were employed and 177,300 were unemployed. Compared with February 2014, February 2015 had 34,400 fewer unemployed, the largest annual decrease in the number of unemployed since October 2011.

Over the month, jobs were up 800, with a private-sector loss of 800. Since February 2014, jobs grew by 58,100, with 46,300 private-sector job gains. The sectors with the largest job gains over the year were education and health services and professional, scientific, and business services.

Unemployment Rises Slightly in Massachusetts in January

By BusinessWest Staff March 13, 2015

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for January were up in all 24 labor market areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), compared to December 2014 rates. However, compared to January 2014, over-the-year unemployment rates were down in all of the labor market areas.

BLS also released job and unemployment estimates for the new geographical boundaries of the labor market areas that were redrawn based on 2010 Census area delineations. These changes allow job estimates to be published for 15 areas, and labor-force and unemployment-rate estimates to be released for 24 areas.

During January 2015, both Massachusetts and the 15 local areas for which job estimates are published experienced seasonal job losses. Since January 2014, all 15 areas added jobs. The Barnstable, Lawrence, Worcester, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Framingham, and Pittsfield areas added more jobs than over the same time period last year.

In order to compare to the local unemployment rates, the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for January was 5.6%, up 0.7% from the revised December 2014 rate. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was down 1.3% from the January 2014 rate of 6.9%. The seasonally adjusted statewide January unemployment rate, released on March 10, was 5.1%, down 0.2% over the month and down 1.0% over the year. The rate was 0.6% below the national unemployment rate.

The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 2,600-job gain in January and an over-the-year gain of 68,000 jobs. Once a year, BLS revises and updates area job estimates, which are available back to 1990.

The revised labor-force and unemployment rates go back to 2014. The labor force, unemployment rates and jobs estimates for Massachusetts and every other state are based on several different statistical methodologies specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The unadjusted unemployment rates, labor force, and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and, therefore, may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

Unemployment Rate Drops to 5.1% in January

By BusinessWest Staff March 11, 2015

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) released preliminary January 2015 estimates Tuesday showing the Massachusetts total unemployment rate dropped to 5.1% from the revised December 2014 rate of 5.3%, a 0.2% decrease. This is the lowest unemployment rate since May 2008.

Over the year, the unemployment rate fell a full 1.0% from 6.1% last January. Over the month, jobs were up 2,600, with private-sector gains of 800 in six of the nine sectors. Over the year, the number of jobs grew by 68,000, with 56,600 private-sector job gains.

Annual year-end revisions released Tuesday also indicate unemployment rates were lower in all but three months from April 2012 through December 2014 than previously published. These revisions show that Massachusetts added 60,700 jobs in 2014 with private-sector job gains of 50,800. Education and health services; and professional, scientific, and business services sectors added the most jobs in 2014.

ACCGS Releases Legislative Agenda for 2015

By BusinessWest Staff March 2, 2015

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Affiliated Chamber of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) has released its 2015 legislative agenda, addressing the major legislative issues intended to strengthen business competitiveness, lower business costs, and stimulate growth in the Greater Springfield region.

The agenda touches upon key issues in the areas of tax policy, workplace ethics, healthcare, and workforce development. The ACCGS will continue to update the legislative agenda throughout the session so to stay current with the evolving nature of the region. With revenues growing at a 4.5% rate, the chamber will focus on how those revenues are prioritized and spent in the areas of Gateway Cities, infrastructure, and local aid.

The chamber continues to work hard in making the region competitive when it comes to the costs of doing business, and is addressing issues in the workplace with a focus on mandated sick leave, unemployment insurance, treble damage, and non-compete legislation. Healthcare costs are a major priority in this session’s agenda and remain a point of concern for the chamber and its members. The chamber will focus its efforts on addressing the federal Affordable Care Act, mandated benefits, and insurance disbursements.

With more than 6,000 pieces of legislation filed at the commencement of the session on Jan. 1, the ACCGS will be monitoring the progress of these bills to better assert its position throughout the 2015-16 legislative session.

Getting the Jobs Done

By BusinessWest Staff February 24, 2015

Employment Sections

TWO Program Is Honored for Closing Workforce Skills Gaps

“The economic imperative for aligning the workforce needs of Massachusetts with the needs of students attending community colleges is powerful and growing. Massachusetts is at a crossroads in its capacity to compete — and the ability of its residents to fully participate in the current economy and the rewards that employment brings. For the Commonwealth to flourish going forward, a high priority must be placed on training the workforce that is needed by the industries that are driving the Massachusetts economy. That responsibility falls squarely on the Commonwealth’s public higher-education system, most predominately the 15 community colleges.”

That was one of the more hard-hitting bits of analysis and commentary contained in a blistering 2011 report issued by the Boston Foundation, a document that essentially called out the state’s community colleges for not doing enough to help train a workforce to meet industry needs, while making some controversial suggestions about how to bring about change, such as a centralization effort that would do away with local boards of trustees at the schools.

Bill Messner — now, as then, president of Holyoke Community College — remembers his reaction to that report. His initial response was that its authors didn’t do enough research — at least when it came to the schools west of Worcester — and missed some key evidence that community colleges in the 413 area code were, in fact, being imaginative and somewhat effective in efforts to close so-called skills gaps within the workforce.

Bill Messner says the Boston Foundation report in 2011 caught the attention of area schools and prompted initiatives like TWO.

Still, Messner and others, like his counterpart at Springfield Technical Community College, Ira Rubenzahl, chose not to shoot the messenger — although they were highly critical of those suggestions to centralize the community-college system and put it under one board — and heed calls from the Boston Foundation, as well as the Commonwealth Corp. (which issued its own report with similar findings at that time) to do more to partner with businesses and workforce-development agencies to properly align their training programs with the specific needs of industry sectors.

So it was with a large dose of pride that HCC and STCC learned that, together, they had won the first Deval Patrick Award for Community Colleges, named after the former governor and funded by the Boston Foundation, for work undertaken through a program called TWO (Training & Workforce Options), an acronym that is now resonating throughout the local business community.

The cash prize, to be split by the schools, is $50,000 — a small amount, especially when budget cuts of nearly 10 times that number were announced by the Baker administration for both schools the same week the award was presented. But the rewards go well beyond the money (which will go into both schools’ general operating funds), said both Messner and Robert LePage, vice president of Foundation and Workforce Training at STCC and the school’s TWO point person.

Indeed, the award will bring recognition to the program, said LePage, adding that with that exposure might come support from other state agencies as well as more participation among area businesses and thus more progress in combatting regional workforce issues.

“Recognition from a group like the Boston Foundation is the kind of endorsement that can get others to invest in you — I hope this is something we’re able to leverage,” he explained. “People want to see a good return on their investment, so I’m hopeful that this will bring some eyes to Western Mass., prompt others to appreciate the work we’re doing here, and cause people to say there are things happening here that they can adopt.”

In many ways, the Boston Foundation report validates TWO’s mission and underscores the success stories authored in its first three years, said LePage, adding that there have been many of them.

For example, TWO has partnered with Baystate Health to create a regional ICD-10 (medical coding) incumbent worker training academy and is working with regional employers to launch an advanced hospital medical coding academy that will prepare workers for the many changes coming to that important realm within healthcare. Meanwhile, it has worked with MassMutual and a host of other employers to develop a new advanced call center and customer service certificate, a program that has succeeded in placing a number of individuals in jobs within that emerging sector.

Meanwhile, TWO has taken the lead in training individuals for the gaming industry that will soon become a force in this state through the creation of the Mass. Casino Careers Training Institute.

For this issue and its focus on employment, BusinessWest looks at how TWO has managed to impress far more than the Deval Patrick Award judges and, in the process, has enabled more individuals to join the workforce and helped area businesses thrive.

Work in Progress

Increasingly, Messner noted, groups such as the Boston Foundation are creating cash awards, like those attached to the Deval Patrick Award, as incentives to prompt groups and individuals to respond to their various initiatives and calls for action.

And in many instances, such tactics are working, he said, adding quickly that, with the Patrick Award, there was little fanfare, and many administrators at the state’s community colleges, himself included, were not even aware of the award until a call for applications was issued last fall.

The much more profound incentive to respond to the 2011 report and others like it, said Messner, was a recognized need for a regional response to a skills gap that goes a long way toward explaining still-high regional unemployment rates at a time when many businesses are struggling mightily to fill key positions — a phenomenon that has in some ways stifled economic growth.

“While we didn’t agree with everything in the report, it certainly got our attention,” said Messner, using ‘we’ to mean both community colleges. “And we responded accordingly with TWO.”

Slicing through the 2011 Boston Foundation report and summing up its main points, the authors’ main contention then was that the state’s community colleges were not working collaboratively (or working enough) with employers, industry groups, and workforce-development-centered agencies to identify needs, close skills gaps, and create opportunities for those challenged in their attempts to enter the state’s knowledge-based workforce.

So TWO, which was already in its formative stages when the report came out, was designed to change that equation, create a host of partnerships, and incorporate a far more proactive approach to workforce issues and challenges than what existed prior to the program’s existence.

TWO’s mission — and its operating philosophy — are summed up nicely in this passage from the joint application submitted by HCC and STCC for the Deval Patrick Award:

“Prior to community college reforms, the two colleges often worked in a reactive form and in competition with one another,” the application authors wrote. “This often led to an inefficient and duplicative approach to workforce development and employer engagement in Hampden and Hampshire counties. With the formation of Training and Workforce Options, the two colleges have formed a cohesive and proactive sales and training approach and have effectively broadened the reach of both colleges. TWO has provided HCC and STCC a stronger and unified voice and further positioned the colleges to provide a deeper and wider leadership role in serving regional workforce needs that serves as a catalyst to support economic-development success.”

It has assumed this leadership role through engagement with the business community and agencies ranging from area Regional Employment Boards to one-stop career centers to economic-development-related agencies to identify needs and develop programs to address them.

Through its so-called ‘business-discovery model,’ LePage said, TWO has met with more than 200 businesses in five key industry sectors — financial services/customer service, healthcare, hospitality and culinary, IT, and manufacturing — to validate employer needs.

Bob LePage says the Deval Patrick Award will garner recognition for TWO, prompting more participation and attempts to emulate its success.

And program partners run the gamut, from major employers such as MassMutual, Baystate Health, Smith & Wesson, Six Flags, and MGM to smaller operations such as Mustang Seats, the Three Rivers-based company that makes replacement motorcycle seats for Harley Davidson, Honda, BMW, and other brands, and Ludlow-based Chemi-Graphic, which manufactures nameplates, labels, and other products for a wide range of customers.

Input from these businesses has helped spawn several direct responses in the form of new programs and training initiatives.

At Chemi-Graphic, for example, TWO has provided a host of services, from assessing workforce needs to direct training programs to advice on how to secure state workforce-training grants, said LePage, adding that the manufacturer is in many ways representative of the businesses TWO was created to assist.

“They’re the kind of company we’re looking for, because they have 50 to 60 employees, so they’re not large enough to have a training arm, per se,” he explained. “And they have a niche business, one that’s doing well, but is now facing the retirement of all those Baby Boomers, and they need to replace those workers. They’re really what we’re looking for — we want to help as many of those small and mid-size companies as we can because they are the heartbeat of this region.“

Answering the Call

Overall, TWO’s most profound impact has been with closing those aforementioned gaps between the skill sets that the current workforce possesses and the skills that are needed within certain industries and for specific jobs.

Two of the better examples of how TWO has operated are the ICD-10 incumbent worker training academy and the advanced call center and customer service certificate.

ICD-10, as that name would suggest (at least to those in the industry), is the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, or ICD, said Jason Pacheco, a senior workforce-planning consultant for Baystate Health. And it represents a significant change from ICD-9.

“ICD-9 has around 9,000 or 10,000 codes, while ICD-10 has roughly 60,000 codes,” he explained, adding that this nearly exponential increase is projected to generate a decrease in productivity — primarily because it already has in countries where ICD-10 is being used. As a result, said Pacheco, healthcare providers and medical practices will either have to bring on more employees or outsource more work.

To widen the pool of potential job candidates, TWO is partnering with Baystate, the Regional Employment Board of Hampden Country, and other players on worker training initiatives that have, to date, involved more than 50 companies.

“The concept to fill the gap in the labor pool was to come up with a development program,” said Pacheco. “What Training and Workforce Options has been able to do is work with those two community colleges to help align the students and their curriculum toward flexible workforce arrangements that meet employers’ needs.”

And that’s just one example, he said, of how Baystate and others in the healthcare sector have partnered with TWO to identify and close gaps involving several specific positions, including sterile-processing technicians, medical lab technicians, pharmacy technicians, and others.

That list includes call-center employees, he went on, adding that Baystate is one of many area employers, large and small, that have participated in the Advanced Call Center & Customer Service Training program.
To date, three cohorts of students have produced more than 55 graduates, with roughly 80% of those individuals placed in companies like MassMutual, PeoplesBank, Health New England, and many others, thus meeting a growing need for such specialists.

“There are quite a few call centers in the region if you start to add them up, and they’re across many sectors of the economy,” said Nick Fyntrilakis, vice president of Community Involvement for MassMutual, which has hired several of those graduates. “And a growing challenge for everyone with a call center was finding qualified applicants; different companies have different needs, but there are some foundational pieces that run across the whole spectrum.”

TWO, working in conjunction with those employers and the Regional Employment Board, developed a curriculum, identified solid candidates for the program, established a call-center simulation center, and developed a formal employer-engagement process to improve student placement, he went on, adding that these various steps have all helped ensure success and sum up what the program is all about.

“To us, that’s the kind of work that community colleges were designed to do,” said Fyntrilakis. “That’s what they were built to do — to plug into the workforce needs of the community and tailor programs that identify people that have a skills gap or require additional training or education, and then help connect them to those careers.”

And that’s exactly the type of work that the state’s community colleges were not doing, at least according to the Boston Foundation.

Bottom Line

Messner told BusinessWest that, while he had confidence in the joint submission for the Deval Patrick Award, he wasn’t exactly expecting the two Western Mass. schools to prevail in that competition.

“I was more than a little surprised by this, because we assumed that the Boston Foundation, being a Boston foundation, might be inclined, especially for this first award, to stick closer to home,” he said, adding quickly that, beyond geography, he wasn’t surprised by the choice.

That’s because of TWO’s quickly amassed track record and the promise to add to its portfolio of success stories.

The Deval Patrick Award might help with all that, and, as Messner, LePage, and others mentioned, that’s a far bigger prize than a pair of $25,000 checks.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

HCC, STCC Offer Manufacturing Production Technician Training Program

By BusinessWest Staff February 18, 2015

Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College, in collaboration with Springfield Technical Community College, is offering a free manufacturing production technician training program beginning Monday, March 16.

The 10-week, accelerated manufacturing training program is being offered through Training and Workforce Options (TWO), a joint effort between HCC and STCC, with support from Massachusetts Community Colleges and the Workforce Development Transformation Agenda, which is funded through a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.

The program runs Monday through Thursday, 3:30 to 8:30 p.m., through May 28. All classes will be held at Dean Vocational High School, 1045 Main St., Holyoke. Students must arrange their own transportation.

To find out more and to see if you qualify, attend one of the following information sessions:
• Monday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m., CareerPoint, Paper City Room, 850 High St., Holyoke; or
• Tuesday, Feb. 24, 9:30 a.m., noon, or 3 p.m., Kittredge Center, Room 226, HCC, 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke.

To register, contact Ana Sanchez at (413) 755-4789 or [email protected]. If selected, students must attend a mandatory orientation day on Thursday, March 12. Students will spend 150 hours in the classroom learning subjects such as machining, workplace math, measuring, instrumentation, communication, and production. Those who successfully complete the program will receive a certificate as a manufacturing production technician.

Massachusetts Adds 10,900 Jobs in December

By BusinessWest Staff January 23, 2015

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show Massachusetts added 10,900 jobs in December for a total preliminary estimate of 3,447,600. The December total unemployment rate was 5.5%, down 0.3% over the month.

Since December 2013, Massachusetts has added a net of 60,900 jobs, with 58,400 jobs added in the private sector. The total unemployment rate for the year is down 1.6% from the December 2013 rate of 7.1%.

BLS also revised its November job estimate to an 11,700-job gain from the 13,500-job gain previously reported for the month. The December 2014 estimates show 3,371,500 Massachusetts residents were employed and 194,900 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,566,400.

Unemployment Up Slightly in November, Down for Year

By BusinessWest Staff December 23, 2014

Daily News

BOSTON — The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for November were up in 20 labor market areas and two areas remained unchanged over the month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the year, unemployment rates were down in all the labor market areas. The preliminary statewide unadjusted unemployment rate estimate for November was 5.2%, up 0.1% from October. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was down 1.5% from the November 2013 rate of 6.7%.

During November, eight of the 12 areas for which job estimates are published recorded job gains. The largest job gains were in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Framingham, New Bedford, Peabody, Worcester, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, and Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner areas. Losses occurred in the Barnstable, Springfield, Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, and Pittsfield areas.

Since November 2013, all 12 areas added jobs, with the largest percentage gains occurring in the Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, Worcester, Barnstable, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, and Peabody areas.

Massachusetts Adds 13,500 Jobs in November

By BusinessWest Staff December 19, 2014

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show Massachusetts added 13,500 jobs in November for a total preliminary estimate of 3,438,500. The November total unemployment rate was 5.8%, down 0.2% over the month.

Since November 2013, Massachusetts has added a net of 59,600 jobs, with 57,400 jobs added in the private sector. The total unemployment rate for the year is down 1.3% from the November 2013 rate of 7.1%. BLS also revised its October job estimates to a 1,600-job gain from the 1,200-job gain previously reported for the month.

People on the Move

By BusinessWest Staff December 16, 2014

Departments People on the Move

Robert Ziomek

The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield (ACCGS) have elected Robert Ziomek, director of major and planned gifts at Western New England University, to lead the organization’s Legislative Steering Committee. Ziomek was elected for a two-year term as chairman of the panel. “I am humbled to be chosen the chair of a group that is so committed to the success of the Greater Springfield business community,” said Ziomek. “The city of Springfield is going through an insurgence of new business development right now, and I’m confident this committee will continue to play a significant role in keeping our federal, state, and local officials focused on the issues that affect the Western Massachusetts business community.” The legislative steering committee identifies and researches issues of major concern to the business community, then recommends positions on them. The committee is also charged with educating members on these issues, soliciting member support, and encouraging elected officials to adopt the ACCGS’ positions. The committee has four subcommittees that perform in-depth research on specific issues: budget, workplace issues, healthcare, and education/workforce development. Ziomek is in his 10th year of service to the committee and previously served as the chairman of the subcommittee that studies workplace issues.
•••••

Darlene Libiszewski

Junior Achievement of Western Mass. recently elected new officers and welcomed new members to its board of directors. JA’s 2014-15 officers include chair Darlene Libiszewski of Chicopee Savings Bank; co-vice chairs John Boudreau of Contractor’s Edge LLC and Michael Ginsberg of Insurance Industry Consulting Services; treasurer Nicole Denette of Savage Arms; and clerk Margaret LaMotte of Paragus Strategic IT. Rounding out the executive committee are former chairmen Al Kasper of Savage Arms and Phil Goncalves of Country Bank. Junior Achievement also announced the addition of William Sepaniak of Baystate Medical, Brendan Greeley of RJ Greeley, Tracey Alves-Lear of TD Bank, Christine Quiterio of Comcast, and Jon Feeney of Smith & Wesson.
•••••

Barry Waite

Holyoke Medical Center announced that Barry Waite has been named corporate director of Human Resources. Waite, a native of Holyoke, served five years as corporate director of Human Resources for the Loomis Communities in South Hadley and seven years as regional director of Human Resources with HealthBridge Management in Concord. Previously, he served as director of Public Affairs and Strategic Communications for Baystate Health in Springfield, and as director of Communications and Marketing for Qualidigm in Middletown, Conn. “This is an exciting time for Holyoke Medical Center, as we bring a new vision and strategic plan into action. The people who work here every day, providing the excellent care that our community hospital is recognized for, are the reason I’m here,” said Waite. “In HR, we have a real impact on how that care is provided, whether the focus is on the morale of the workplace, employee benefits, or creating a healthier workplace environment for our employees — creating an environment where they can thrive and serve our patients to the best of their ability.” Waite attended Boston College and earned his master’s degree in health communications at Emerson College/Tufts University School of Medicine. Among Waite’s plans for HMC are to introduce a new employee-wellness program including an initiative for achieving a healthy work-life balance.
•••••

Catherine Turowsky

Farmington Bank announced the appointment of Catherine Turowsky as vice president of Cash Management Sales and Services Representative. Turowsky operates out of Farmington Bank’s Western Mass. Commercial Services Office, located at 138 Memorial Ave. in West Springfield. Turowsky, with more than 28 years of banking experience in Massachusetts, comes to Farmington Bank from People’s United Bank, where she served as senior vice president/market manager of cash management services. She is a member of the Treasury Management Assoc. of New England and the Assoc. for Financial Professionals. In September, Connecticut-based Farmington Bank announced its plans to enter Massachusetts with the establishment of the commercial services office now open in West Springfield and two de novo hub branches planned to open, subject to regulatory approval, in West Springfield and East Longmeadow in 2015.
•••••
Dawn Henry has been elected president of the 1,700-member Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley. The election took place at the association’s annual membership meeting held last month at the Yankee Pedlar in Holyoke. Henry is a real-estate sales agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Longmeadow. As president, she will oversee the association’s activities and operations, including meetings of the board of directors, and act as a liaison to the association’s various committees. She is the official spokesperson of the association on issues related to the real-estate industry and the local housing market. The other 2015 officers and directors include Louis Mayo, president-elect; Richard Sawicki Jr., treasurer; Janise Fitzpatrick, secretary; and Patrick Nolan, immediate past president. Directors include Elias Acuna, Edward Alford, Kelly Bowman, Shawn Bowman, Suzi Buzzee, Susan Drumm, Susan Rheaume, and Russell Sabadosa. Organized in 1915, the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley is a professional trade organization serving Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.

State Funding to Strengthen Advanced-manufacturing Industry

By BusinessWest Staff December 16, 2014

Daily News

AMHERST — Building on the Patrick administration’s historic commitment to strengthening the advanced-manufacturing industry in Massachusetts, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki on Monday joined Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rachel Kaprielian and State Senate Majority Leader Stan Rosenberg to announce nearly $2 million in funding to support manufacturing workforce training across the Commonwealth. The announcement was made at the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) Pioneer Valley Summit, held at UMass Amherst.

“I am proud of the work the AMC has accomplished over the years, creating opportunities for workers with a range of skill levels that will strengthen our economy for years to come,” said Bialecki. “Collaborative efforts like this are a critical reason why Massachusetts is leading the nation in growing a 21st-century advanced-manufacturing sector.”

Nearly $1.5 million of the total funding was awarded through the Advanced Manufacturing Pipeline Training Grants Program to support five regional workforce-investment boards throughout Massachusetts. This funding will help recruit and train approximately 280 unemployed or underemployed participants for careers in advanced manufacturing. The grants program is a cross-secretariat initiative between the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Two Western Mass. organizations are among those receiving funding:

• The Hampden Regional Employment Board received $219,960 to conduct the Advanced Manufacturing Training Program, in partnership with the Western Mass. Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Assoc. The Hampden Regional Employment Board will contract with local community colleges, part-time instructors from two vocational technical high schools, and an advanced-manufacturing company to train unemployed or underemployed adults of Hampden County.

• The Franklin/Hampshire Regional Employment Board received $276,705 to continue collaboration with employers from across the region, as well as community partners such as Greenfield Community College (GCC), the two area vocational-technical schools, and two adult-education sites, to enable the Regional Employment Board and GCC to offer three additional cycles of entry-level precision-machine training over the next two years in Franklin County. This will expand it from 220 hours to 300 hours and add skill building in the areas of blueprint reading, metrology, grinding, and lean manufacturing.

“The quick turnaround in awarding these grants reflects the urgency the Patrick Administration has adopted in scaling up these pipelines to help fill current job openings in advanced manufacturing all over the state,” said Kaprielian. “These awards will allow the grantees to build upon their proven successes and their capacity to work collaboratively through industry partnerships to increase the number of seats in their existing pipelines.”

Through a separate grant program, the Industry Training Capital Equipment grant program, also aimed at supporting the manufacturing industry in Massachusetts, Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School in Northampton was awarded $400,000 to rebuild its precision-manufacturing training program. With the support of more than 25 regional manufacturing and workforce leaders in Hampshire County, the rebuilt training program will be a site for daytime students and evening adult learners, in partnership with the Franklin-Hampshire Regional Employment Board.

State Issues $12.2M in Training Grants to Reduce Healthcare Costs

By BusinessWest Staff December 11, 2014

Daily News

LOWELL — Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rachel Kaprielian awarded more than $12.2 million in the latest round of grants to help train healthcare providers to improve patient service and reduce healthcare costs. The funding goes to 53 organizations across the state as part of the Patrick administration’s effort to encourage economic growth by supporting innovation in the Commonwealth’s healthcare industry.

“These grants will help ensure healthcare providers succeed in implementing new models of service delivery and adapt to new payment structures,” said Kaprielian. “By providing resources to develop new and innovative training and education programs, Massachusetts will continue to solidify its place as a leader in healthcare modernization and advances.”

In 2012, Gov. Deval Patrick signed a law making Massachusetts the first state in the country to enact healthcare quality-improvement and cost-containment legislation. The act allocated $20 million to prepare the healthcare industry for the new demands and innovations called for in the legislation. Patrick announced the first round of grants in March, allowing businesses to assess their workforce and determine what skills and training they will need to change operations and deliver more efficient healthcare.

For many of this week’s grantees, the training activity ahead builds on that planning work. All the grantees have identified a set of operational changes that are driving their need for increased workforce skills. The training activity will support new models for coordinating care across professions, institutions, and settings; focus on patient-centered care, stronger patient engagement, and health education to promote health and wellness; and spur the integration of primary care and behavioral health.

In Western Mass., grants were awarded to Berkshire Health System ($249,286), Community Health Programs ($148,349), Baystate Medical Center ($249,682), Gandara Center ($250,000); Springfield Technical Community College ($156,338); and Carson Center for Human Services ($249,996).

Company Notebook

By BusinessWest Staff December 2, 2014

Company Notebook Departments

Florence Bank Opens New Hadley Branch
HADLEY — Florence Bank, a mutually owned savings bank serving the Pioneer Valley through nine branch locations, celebrated the opening of its new Hadley location at 377 Russell St. last month, with local and state officials, as well as more than 100 well-wishers. Florence Bank CEO John Heaps Jr. and bank officials were joined by State Senate Majority Leader Stan Rosenberg, state Rep. John Scibak, Hadley Town Administrator David Nixon, and Amherst Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Don Courtemanche, along with customers, friends, and supporters who turned out to welcome the bank to its new home. In addition to the ribbon cutting, bank officials officially dedicated a new tractor weathervane, which sits atop the new building, to the Devine family of Hadley. John Devine, who was a lifelong farmer and a member of Hadley’s Planning Board, was instrumental in recommending that the bank consider a cupola and weathervane as part of the new building’s design. Bank officials wanted to do something to honor the memory of Devine, who passed away unexpectedly a year ago. Florence Bank Senior Vice President Sharon Rogalski presented a replica of the weathervane to John Devine Jr., who accepted the gift on behalf of his family. Toby Daniels, vice president and branch manager of the Hadley Branch, will continue in that role in the new location. “Hadley has been our home for nearly 20 years,” said Heaps. “We are especially pleased to renew our commitment to this community with our new location. We thank our many customers and friends for their ongoing support and look forward to serving everyone for years to come.”

PeoplesBank Named a ‘Top Place To Work’
HOLYOKE — Recently, the Boston Globe recognized PeoplesBank as a “Top Place to Work” for the third year in a row. Massachusetts-based companies that are eligible for Top Place to Work consideration undergo a rigorous evaluation by survey firm WorkplaceDynamics. More than 76,000 individuals’ responses were submitted by the companies regarding key factors related to employee happiness, company direction, execution, employee connection, work load and responsibility, management, and pay and benefits.  “While there is definite value in these indicators, many signs of recovery cannot be boiled down to pure economics,” said Boston Globe Business Editor Mark Pothier. “The companies on our Top Places to Work list foster productivity and innovation by investing in the happiness of their employees, which cannot solely be measured in dollars and cents.” Said Douglas Bowen, president and CEO of PeoplesBank, “our intent was to establish the values and culture necessary to support a great organization. Over time, we learned that those values and that culture would improve our bottom line and make PeoplesBank a top place to work.” Employee engagement is critical to a high-performance culture, according to Janice Mazzallo, executive vice president and chief human resource officer at PeoplesBank. “Associates become engaged when they know we care about them,” she said. “We want to know their ideas, so we have associate think tanks. We want them to grow, so we have innovative development programs, mentoring, and learning centers. And we want to encourage life-work balance because our values are abou more than just work. We need to have fun, too.” As part of the Top Place to Work award to PeoplesBank, the Boston Globe highlighted two efforts by bank associates. The first, called the Smoothie Patrol, started at an associates’ organized wellness fair and was so well-received that associates decided to take it on the road and make surprise visits to each of the bank’s 17 offices. Xiaolei Hua, an assistant vice president and credit officer at PeoplesBank and Habitat for Humanity volunteer, was interviewed by the Boston Globe regarding the bank’s support of volunteerism. “I know that the bank cares about more than just getting the work done,” Hua told the paper. “They care about me, my family, and the community.”

Polish National Credit Union Donates $15,000 to Westfield Senior Center
WESTFIELD — At a check-presentation ceremony last month, Polish National Credit Union made a $15,000 donation to the capital campaign of Friends of the Westfield Senior Center Inc. The donation was made at the Westfield River Branch of the PNCU by Branch Manager Cynthia Houle to Friends of the Westfield Senior Center’s board of directors. PNCU President and CEO James Kelly commented on the credit union’s commitment to the Westfield community. “Our branch in Westfield is one of our largest and most vibrant locations, and we enjoy being involved in supporting the community in any way we can. The new senior center is going to be a wonderful asset to the community, and PNCU is thrilled to be a part of it.” The donation will be used for furnishings at the new senior center, currently under construction on Noble Street in Westfield. “The Polish National donation will enable us to provide comfortable furniture and accessories for the new senior center that Westfield’s seniors will benefit from for years to come,” said board member Tom Keenan. “Polish National is genuinely concerned about the community and making Westfield a better place to live.” Founded in 1921, Polish National Credit Union is one of the largest credit unions in the Pioneer Valley. Headquartered on Main Street in Chicopee, the credit union operates full-service branches in Chicopee, Granby, Westfield, Southampton, Hampden, and Wilbraham.

Grainger Foundation Supports STCC Foundation
SPRINGFIELD — The Grainger Foundation, an independent, private foundation located in Lake Forest, Ill., has donated $5,000 to the Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Foundation in support of its Foundation Innovation Grant program. “This grant will be used to help us continue to support faculty and staff innovation here at STCC,” said President Ira Rubenzahl. “The Foundation Innovation Grant program helps us to improve excellence in the delivery of academic or student retention services at STCC. We are grateful to the Grainger Foundation for its generosity and in helping us to continue our mission.” In addition to the contribution from the Grainger Foundation, the STCC Foundation will match Grainger’s $5,000 contribution this year. Foundation Innovation Grants are awarded in the spring. “We want to thank the Grainger Foundation for its generous support,” said STCC Foundation President Kevin Sweeney. “With their assistance, the STCC Foundation will continue its commitment to support innovative projects at the college that promote community impact, economic growth, workforce development, and quality of life in our region.” The donation to the STCC Foundation was recommended by John Duffy, market manager of W.W. Grainger Inc.’s Springfield location. Grainger has been a part of the Western Mass. business community for nearly 40 years as the leading broad-line supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating products. “We are proud to recommend the programs offered by STCC,” said Duffy. “We understand the need for active engagement and partnership between our technical education providers, businesses, and the community.” The Grainger Foundation was established in 1949 by William Grainger, founder of W.W. Grainger Inc.

Mercy Hosts Topping-off Event for Cancer Center
SPRINGFIELD — The construction project to expand the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center is on schedule, and a topping-off ceremony was held Nov. 20 to mark the completion of the project’s main structure with the placement of the top steel beam. A topping-off ceremony is a tradition within the construction industry and is held when the highest structural point in the building construction is attained. To celebrate this event, the last steel girder is signed, lifted into place, and welded to the structure. A small evergreen tree and the American flag are also secured to the girder as it is hoisted to the top of the structure. The tree is meant to represent the strength of the new building and the desire for the construction project to remain injury-free. The $15 million expansion of the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center, which will add an additional 26,000 square feet of space on two levels, is designed to provide more comprehensive care delivery and added convenience for patients. In addition to radiation-oncology services, medical-oncology offices, physician offices, and exam rooms will be located on the first floor. Medical-oncology treatment and infusion space, an oncology pharmacy, and laboratory space will be located on the second floor.

Unemployment Rates Largely Down in Massachusetts

By BusinessWest Staff November 26, 2014

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) reported that seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for October were down in 20 Massachusetts labor market areas and up in two areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the year, unemployment rates were down in all the labor market areas.

The preliminary statewide unadjusted unemployment rate estimate for October was 5.1%, down 1.1% from September. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was down 1.8% from the October 2013 rate of 6.9%. During October, 10 of the 12 areas for which job estimates are published recorded job gains.

The largest job gain was in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy area, followed by the Worcester, Springfield, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, Peabody, New Bedford, Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner, and Framingham areas. The Pittsfield area had no change in its jobs level over the month, while the Barnstable area recorded a seasonal loss. Since October 2013, all 12 areas added jobs, with the largest percentage gains in the Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, Worcester, Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, Springfield, and Pittsfield areas.

The seasonally adjusted statewide October unemployment rate, released on Nov. 20, remained unchanged over the month at 6.0% and down 1.2% over the year. The rate was 0.2% above the 5.8% national unemployment rate. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 1,200-job gain in October and an over-the-year gain of 52,600 jobs.

The labor force, unemployment rates, and job estimates for Massachusetts and every other state are based on several different statistical methodologies specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

Massachusetts Adds 1,200 Jobs in October

By BusinessWest Staff November 21, 2014

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) reported this week that preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show Massachusetts added 1,200 jobs in October for a total preliminary estimate of 3,424,600. The October total unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.0%. Since October 2013, Massachusetts has added a net of 52,600 jobs, with 50,400 jobs added in the private sector. The total unemployment rate for the year is down 1.2% from the October 2013 rate of 7.2%. BLS also revised its September job estimates to a 7,800-job gain from the 9,400-gain previously reported for the month. Here’s an October 2014 employment overview:
• Information added 1,900 jobs (+2.0%) over the month. Over the year, the sector added 7,900 jobs (+9.1%);
• Construction gained 1,300 jobs (+1.1%) over the month. Over the year, the sector has added 2,400 jobs (+2.0%);
• Education and Health Services added 800 jobs (+0.1%) over the month. Over the year, the sector Education gained 16,000 jobs (+2.2%);
• Professional, Scientific and Business Services gained 200 jobs (0.0%) over the month. Over the year, the sector added 14,500 jobs (+2.9%);
• Other Services had no change in its jobs level over the month. Over the year, Other Services jobs are up 1,100 jobs (+0.9%);
• Trade, Transportation and Utilities lost 1,800 jobs (-0.3%) over the month. Over the year, the sector gained 7,200 (+1.3%) jobs;
• Leisure and Hospitality lost 1,500 jobs (-0.4%) jobs over the month. Over the year, the sector added 100 (0.0%) jobs;
• Financial Activities lost 500 jobs (-0.2%) over the month. Over the year, the sector added 1,900 jobs (+0.9%);
• Manufacturing lost 400 jobs (-0.2%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Manufacturing lost 700 jobs (-0.3%); and
• Government added 1,200 jobs (+0.3%) over the month. Over the year, the sector gained 2,200 jobs (+0.5%).

The October 2014 estimates show 3,334,800 Massachusetts residents were employed and 211,000 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,545,800. The October labor force increased by 14,100 from 3,531,700 in September, as 16,400 more residents were employed and 2,300 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. The labor force was an estimated 61,800 above the 3,484,000 October 2013 estimate, with 100,600 more residents employed and 38,800 fewer residents unemployed. The unemployment rate is based on a monthly sample of households. The job estimates are derived from a monthly sample survey of employers. As a result, the two statistics may exhibit different monthly trends.

Grainger Foundation Supports STCC Foundation

By BusinessWest Staff November 20, 2014

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — The Grainger Foundation, an independent, private foundation located in Lake Forest, Ill., has donated $5,000 to the Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Foundation in support of its Foundation Innovation Grant program. “This grant will be used to help us continue to support faculty and staff innovation here at STCC,” said STCC President Dr. Ira H. Rubenzahl. “The Foundation Innovation Grant program helps us to improve excellence in the delivery of academic or student retention services at STCC. We are grateful to The Grainger Foundation for its generosity and in helping us to continue our mission.” In addition to the contribution from the Grainger Foundation, the STCC Foundation will match Grainger’s $5,000 contribution this year. Foundation Innovation Grants are awarded in the spring. “We want to thank the Grainger Foundation for its generous support,” said STCC Foundation President Kevin Sweeney. “With their assistance, the STCC Foundation will continue its commitment to support innovative projects at the College that promote community impact, economic growth, workforce development, and quality of life in our region.” The donation to the STCC Foundation was recommended by John Duffy, market manager of W.W. Grainger Inc.’s, Springfield location. Grainger has been a part of the Western Massachusetts business community for nearly 40 years as the leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating products. “We are proud to recommend the programs offered by STCC,” said Duffy. “We understand the need for active engagement and partnership between our technical education providers, businesses and the community.” The Grainger Foundation, an independent, private foundation based in Lake Forest, Ill., was established in 1949 by William W. Grainger, founder of W.W. Grainger Inc.

Berkshire Community College Receives 2014 Trendsetter Award

By BusinessWest Staff October 23, 2014

Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Community College (BCC) has received the 2014 Trendsetter Award for Growing and Advancing the Berkshire Economy by 1Berkshire, an independent not-for-profit corporation charged with strengthening and growing the economy in Berkshire County.

The award, which was presented last month at 1Berkshire’s Celebrate the Berkshires event, is presented annually to an individual or organization with “a project that attracts new residents or new jobs or enhances the current workforce attributes for a single employer, targeted employee segment, or the region as a whole.”

BCC was recognized for its unique collaborative partnership with the vocational schools in the Berkshires, in particular Taconic High School. The partnership between BCC and Taconic to produce the new advanced-manufacturing employee program was launched in October 2013 with the unveiling of a new, state-of-the-art lab. The lab is housed at Taconic and provides both BCC and Taconic students with the advanced technical skills that are needed in the new high-tech manufacturing workplace.

BCC’s investment, along with matching funds from the state’s 2013 Vocational Equipment Grant Program, yield a $250,000 capital infusion into the new manufacturing lab. The lab includes a learning system consisting of two programmable computer numerical control (CNC) machines with a material-handling robot, hardware, simulation software, and other cutting-edge CNC equipment. This learning system was provided by funds from the Massachusetts Community Colleges & Workforce Development Transformation Agenda (MCCWDTA), a statewide Department of Labor grant.

The kickoff event celebrated new manufacturing and BCC’s participation in MassDevelopment’s AMP (Advanced Manufacturing Program) it up! initiative. In addition to the investment into the manufacturing lab, BCC utilized funding from MCCWDTA and AMP it up! to promote manufacturing as a livelihood through the use of billboards and other advertising displayed throughout the county celebrating October as ‘manufacturing month.’ Presentations were also made to targeted audiences to promote advanced manufacturing as a career.

BCC then offered its new advanced-manufacturing training certification program in partnership with Taconic High School to a pilot group of unemployed and incumbent workers at no cost. This 10-week, 66-hour, Level 1 program launched a statewide certified curriculum and employer-led training initiative developed by the Mass. Extension Partnership (MASSMEP) called MACWIC, (Mass. Advancement Center, Workforce Innovation Collaborative.) Following the Level 1 program, a 16-week, 115-hour, Level 2 program was established to build upon the Level 1 programming and meet the needs of the paper and plastic manufacturing companies in the Berkshires. The overall mission of the program is to preserve manufacturing knowledge and to execute the transfer of knowledge, all while meeting the needs of local employers.

In addition to the programming at Taconic High School, BCC also assisted with a special manufacturing program offered at McCann Vocational Technical High School in North Adams.

Massachusetts Employment Up 9,400 in September

By BusinessWest Staff October 16, 2014

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show Massachusetts added 9,400 jobs in September, for a total preliminary estimate of 3,425,000. The September total unemployment rate was 6.0%, up 0.2% over the August rate.

Since September 2013, Massachusetts has added a net of 64,100 jobs, with 62,000 jobs added in the private sector. The total unemployment rate for the year is down 1.2% from the September 2013 rate of 7.2%. BLS also revised its August job estimates to a 4,900-job loss from the 5,300-loss previously reported for the month.

Greenfield Community College Wins National Green Genome Award

By BusinessWest Staff October 2, 2014

Daily News

GREENFIELD — As part of an expanding national effort to support environmentally sustainable practices, programs, and job training at the nation’s almost 1,200 community colleges, Greenfield Community College is one of five exemplary community colleges to be presented with an American Assoc. of Community Colleges (AACC) Green Genome Award.

The Green Genome Awards, created by AACC’s Sustainability Education and Economic Development Center (SEED), are evaluated in four key areas critical to holistic green college transformation: community engagement, governance, program design and delivery, and strategic partnerships. Greenfield Community College is recognized as the overall winner, demonstrating excellence in all four key areas.

That excellence can be seen in GCC’s academic programs in Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency and Farm and Food Systems, on-campus photovoltaic solar panels and permaculture garden, campus-wide composting and recycling, collaborations with many community partners, and campus leadership that considers sustainability in its decision making. Greenfield Community College will be awarded $7,500, plus a set of state-of-the-art Bahco-brand Snap-on tools and horticulture equipment. The awards are sponsored by Snap-on.

“As the primary organizing body of community colleges of the United States, AACC knows and understands community colleges across the country. We therefore are most honored and lifted by this recognition,” said GCC President Bob Pura. “I am so very proud of all of the people in the college and the community who made it possible for AACC to recognize GCC with this award. It is great to get acknowledged for demonstrating best practices by an organization that is so well-informed. What this award also does is encourage us to work harder and aspire to even higher standards.”

Other winners of this prestigious award include Gateway Technical College in Wisconsin (strategic partnerships), Lane Community College in Oregon (governance), McHenry County College in Illinois (community engagement), and Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois (program design and delivery).

“AACC is thrilled to recognize colleges like Greenfield Community College that have not only prepared a skilled workforce, but have also become change agents in regional efforts to develop a green and sustainable economy,” said Walter Bumphus, AACC president and CEO. “Through the SEED Center, AACC is providing community colleges an important road map to connect and integrate campus sustainability practices and clean economy-related education and workforce development.”

Added U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, “this national award will not only equip GCC with state-of-the-art equipment but also with additional capital to boost their already successful program. This award is further proof that GCC is a national leader in the field of sustainable and renewable-energy education and workforce development.”

Employment Picture Improves Slightly in Massachusetts

By BusinessWest Staff September 26, 2014

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for August were down in most labor-market areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The preliminary statewide unadjusted unemployment rate estimate for August was 6.0%, down 0.1% from July. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was down 1.0% from the August 2013 rate of 70%. During August, the Worcester area recorded a gain in jobs, while the remaining 11 areas for which job estimates are published reported losses. The largest losses occurred in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, and Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury areas.

Since August 2013, nine of the 12 areas added jobs, with the largest percentage gains in the Worcester, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Framingham, and Springfield areas. The Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, and Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury areas lost jobs. Job losses were impacted by temporary employment disruptions in the retail-trade sector.

The seasonally adjusted statewide August unemployment rate was 5.8%, up 0.2% over the month and down 1.4% over the year. The rate was 0.3% below the 6.1% national unemployment rate. The statewide, seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 5,300-job loss in August and an over-the-year gain of 54,300 jobs. The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor-market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.

Massachusetts Jobs Down 5,300 in August

By BusinessWest Staff September 19, 2014

Daily News

BOSTON — According to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show Massachusetts lost 5,300 jobs in August.

Job losses were impacted by temporary employment disruptions in the retail-trade sector. Jobs are estimated at 3,415,200. The August total unemployment rate was up 0.2% to 5.8% from the July rate. The rate is 0.3% below the 6.1% national unemployment rate.

Since August 2013, Massachusetts has added a net of 54,300 jobs, with 53,500 jobs added in the private sector. The total unemployment rate for the year is down 1.4% from the August 2013 rate of 7.2%. BLS also revised its July job estimates to a 12,200-job gain from the 13,800-job gain previously reported for the month.

Briefcase

By BusinessWest Staff September 9, 2014

Briefcase Departments

State to Purchase Knowledge Corridor Line
GREENFIELD — Gov. Deval Patrick announced an agreement in principle allowing the Commonwealth to purchase the Knowledge Corridor rail line between East Northfield and Springfield from Pan Am Southern, a joint venture of Pan Am and Norfolk Southern. The 49-mile segment of rail is currently undergoing a major restoration that will allow for more efficient passenger service, in response to increased demand, and will allow the Commonwealth to maintain and enhance freight service, which will take trucks off the roads, reducing congestion and greenhouse-gas emissions. “For close to 100 years, the Commonwealth’s rail infrastructure was the lifeblood of economic vitality for communities in Franklin and Berkshire counties, and across Western Mass.,” said Patrick. “Through this agreement, we are realizing the renewed value this infrastructure can have in creating economic opportunities throughout the region.” The agreement in principle to purchase the Knowledge Corridor rail line is an important milestone in the Knowledge Corridor/Restore Vermonter Project. The project will restore the original route of Amtrak’s Vermonter travelling between St. Albans, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. from its current routing via Palmer and Amherst. The work on the project includes upgrades to the 50-mile Pan Am Southern Connecticut River Line running between Springfield and East Northfield, known as the Knowledge Corridor. The ongoing restoration project will lead to the relocation of the Vermonter, Amtrak’s north-south passenger rail service to the Knowledge Corridor, by the end of 2014, potentially reducing trip times by 25 minutes. Starting in East Northfield, the restoration runs south to Springfield and includes the construction of three new station platforms in Greenfield, Northampton, and Holyoke. Passenger service on this line ceased in the 1980s and was rerouted southeast to Palmer, where trains reverse direction and head west to Springfield. “It is clear that the residents of Western Massachusetts are hungry for rail service,” said U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern. “Today’s announcement, coupled with state and federal investments to rehabilitate the Knowledge Corridor line, will make such service a reality.” Added U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, “as an outspoken supporter of increased rail travel throughout New England, I am pleased the Commonwealth has agreed to purchase the rail line that runs along the Knowledge Corridor. The completion of this segment of track will lead to increased passenger and freight service from the Pioneer Valley to the Vermont border. Not only will this project will help improve our transportation infrastructure, it will also grow the local economy. It’s exciting news for Western Massachusetts.” Initiated in August 2012, the restoration work consists of the replacement of approximately 95,000 rail ties, new continuously welded rail, new active warning signals and crossing gates at 23 public-grade crossings, upgrades to six bridges, and the first phase of a new signal installation. The restoration is funded through a $75 million grant awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration and approximately $40 million in state funds. The work is expected to be complete in 2016, after the start of passenger service. These improvements will improve safety, increase operating speeds for existing freight-train traffic and the Vermonter, and enhance capacity on the rail line to accommodate future increased levels of train traffic. “The Knowledge Corridor is a rail asset that will play a key role in the region’s transportation system, both by delivering improved customer service in the form of faster travel times, as well as by being built to a standard that can accommodate more freight,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard Davey. “Purchasing the line will also allow us to preserve the line’s viability for the long term, and will position the Commonwealth to use this line for increased passenger service that could provide commuters in the region a competitive alternative to driving on I-91.” The Knowledge Corridor/Restore Vermonter project is part of the vision for a New England high-speed, intercity rail network that will provide a foundation for economic competitiveness and promote livable communities from major and smaller cities to rural areas. Beyond the Knowledge Corridor, the Commonwealth’s work to increase rail opportunities for commuters and tourists alike continues. MassDOT has been working closely with Pan Am Southern, the city of North Adams, and the town of Adams to have Berkshire Scenic Railway operate the Adams Branch railroad line between the two towns. The operation of a scenic railway between North Adams and Adams would be another draw for the thousands of tourists who flock to the Berkshires each year.

Assistance Center Opens in North Adams for Former Hospital Workers
NORTH ADAMS — State Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rachel Kaprielian and state Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz recently joined legislators and local workforce-development officials at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open a worker-assistance center inside North Adams City Hall. The center is the latest effort to marshal state resources in helping 530 area residents who lost their jobs when North Adams Regional Hospital (NARH) and its affiliates closed in March. “The Patrick Administration is committed to making sure no worker or region is left behind as the state’s economy continues to improve and enjoys record job growth,” said Kaprielian. “This center and the skills-training opportunities the state is allocating will help get these residents back to work.” The Mass. Department of Public Health has been instrumental in helping the hospital reopen as a healthcare facility and restore regional healthcare services. Three months ago, Berkshire Health Systems opened an emergency room in the facility and hired approximately 150 former NARH employees. “Massachusetts is committed to ensuring that quality healthcare is accessible in every region across the Commonwealth,” said Polanowicz. “This worker assistance center in North Adams reinforces the administration’s commitment to the region’s healthcare community, and to supporting workers, patients, and families.” Added North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright, “a huge ‘thank you’ to our state partners at the Executive Office of Labor & Workforce Development, and our local partners at Berkshire County Regional Employment Board and BerkshireWorks, for providing this wonderful opportunity to the residents of our Greater Northern Berkshire region. This center will provide significant resources to the unemployed and underemployed that will help them seek out opportunities and provide training for the skills necessary to attain employment. What is also very exciting is that this center will be located right next to our Veteran’s Services Office, providing an on-the-spot resource for our local veterans seeking employment.”

State, MassChallenge Launch Government Innovation Competition
BOSTON — MassIT, the Commonwealth’s lead state agency for technology across the executive branch, announced a first-of-its-kind MassIT Government Innovation Competition, with a $50,000 prize for the winning project. MassIT will partner with MassChallenge, a start-up accelerator that supports high-impact, early-stage entrepreneurs, on this initiative. The goal of the MassIT Government Innovation Competition is to provide high-quality startups with incentives to develop innovative solutions that can help the state government meet constituent needs more efficiently and at lower cost to taxpayers. For the first time, the Commonwealth will have access to entrepreneurs focused on improving the constituent-government relationship. The Commonwealth plans to implement a pilot of the winning project, with the goal of cost-effectively improving delivery of services to constituents, achieving greater internal efficiencies, or both. “Massachusetts is renowned as a hub for technology and innovation; MassChallenge’s support of high-impact, early-stage entrepreneurs has helped enhance that reputation. By working together, MassIT and MassChallenge can accelerate the Commonwealth’s use of technology solutions and harness the wealth of expertise available to us,” said Bill Oates, the state’s chief information officer. MassChallenge awards more than $1 million in cash prizes each year to winning startups, with zero equity taken. Additional benefits for startups include world-class mentorship and training, free office space, access to funding, legal advice, media exposure, and more than $10 million of in-kind support. MassChallenge is open to early-stage entrepreneurs from any industry, from anywhere in the world. Now in its fifth year, the competition has supported 489 startups, which have created more than 4,000 new jobs and raised more than $550 million in outside funding. This year alone, MassChallenge received approximately 1,650 applications from 50 countries and 40 states. After initial rounds of judging of all applicants, 128 finalists — in honor of Massachusetts’s Route 128 technology corridor — are invited to participate in MassChallenge’s four-month startup accelerator program and related sidecar competitions. The MassIT Government Innovation Competition is open to any qualifying startup that applies by the Aug. 27 deadline. Entrepreneurs whose work can help MassIT leverage innovation to support, enable, and transform the operation of state government and delivery of services to constituents are invited to compete.

State Reaches Solar Milestone
BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick announced another major clean-energy milestone, surpassing 15,000 solar installations in the Commonwealth. There are now 15,762 systems installed across Massachusetts, a 20-fold increase from 2008. “This achievement is due in large part to the strength of the Massachusetts solar industry,” Patrick said. “Clean-energy investments are smart for the environment and the economy, as proven by our 24% industry job growth in the last two years.” There were 778 systems installed in Massachusetts on Jan. 1, 2008. As a result of this exponential growth, Massachusetts ranked fourth in the nation for new solar capacity installed in 2013 by the Solar Energy Industries Assoc. It also ranked fourth nationally in total solar jobs in 2013 by the Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census. There are more than 8,000 people working in the solar industry in the Commonwealth, and nearly 80,000 clean-energy workers at 5,500 companies. “These achievements show that the Patrick administration’s policies and strategic investments are paying off,” said state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett. “When we are competitive with other states much sunnier than ours, it’s a testament to the commitment of state and local officials, as well as home and business owners across the Commonwealth, to renewable energy.”

Spots Still Open for Free Manufacturing Training Program

By BusinessWest Staff September 5, 2014

Daily News

HOLYOKE — There are still spots open for a free manufacturing production technician training program that begins Sept. 15.

The 10-week accelerated program is a joint effort between Holyoke Community College and Springfield Technical Community College, with support from the Mass. Community Colleges and Workforce Development Transformation Agenda, which is funded through a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

The program begins on Sept. 15 and runs Monday through Thursday, from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., until Nov. 20. Classes are split between HCC’s Picknelly Adult & Family Education Center, 206 Maple St., Holyoke, and Dean Technical High School, 1045 Main St., Holyoke. Students will spend 160 hours in the classroom learning subjects such as machining, workplace math, measuring, instrumentation, communication, and production. Those who successfully complete the program will receive a certificate as a manufacturing production technician.

To register, contact Paul Sheehan at (413) 755-6504 or [email protected].

North Adams Assistance Center Opens for Former Hospital Workers

By BusinessWest Staff August 29, 2014

Daily News

NORTH ADAMS — State Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rachel Kaprielian and state Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz recently joined legislators and local workforce-development officials at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open a worker-assistance center inside North Adams City Hall.

The center is the latest effort to marshal state resources in helping 530 area residents who lost their jobs when North Adams Regional Hospital (NARH) and its affiliates closed in March.

“The Patrick Administration is committed to making sure no worker or region is left behind as the state’s economy continues to improve and enjoys record job growth,” said Kaprielian. “This center and the skills-training opportunities the state is allocating will help get these residents back to work.”

The Mass. Department of Public Health has been instrumental in helping the hospital reopen as a healthcare facility and restore regional healthcare services. Three months ago, Berkshire Health Systems opened an emergency room in the facility and hired approximately 150 former NARH employees.

“Massachusetts is committed to ensuring that quality healthcare is accessible in every region across the Commonwealth,” said Polanowicz. “This worker assistance center in North Adams reinforces the administration’s commitment to the region’s healthcare community, and to supporting workers, patients, and families.”

Added North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright, “a huge ‘thank you’ to our state partners at the Executive Office of Labor & Workforce Development, and our local partners at Berkshire County Regional Employment Board and BerkshireWorks, for providing this wonderful opportunity to the residents of our Greater Northern Berkshire region. This center will provide significant resources to the unemployed and underemployed that will help them seek out opportunities and provide training for the skills necessary to attain employment. What is also very exciting is that this center will be located right next to our Veteran’s Services Office, providing an on-the-spot resource for our local veterans seeking employment.”

Gov. Patrick Signs Bill Promoting Economic Growth

By BusinessWest Staff August 15, 2014

Daily News

BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick has signed H.4377, “An Act to Promote Economic Growth in the Commonwealth,” building on his administration’s economic-development strategy of investing in education, innovation, and infrastructure.

The economic-development package provides new tools and training to ensure the Massachusetts workforce meets the needs of employers, invests in Gateway Cities to promote development across the entire state, and provides incentives to create jobs and stimulate the economy. Patrick also refiled legislation that limits the use of non-compete agreements and adopts the Uniform Trade Secrets Act to ensure that government acts to retain talented entrepreneurs, supports individual career growth, and encourages the development of new, innovative businesses to drive future economic growth.

The legislation also includes a provision to give local governments across Massachusetts control over the number of liquor licenses in their jurisdiction. Placing the authority to approve liquor licenses in the hands of municipal officials will allow local communities to make responsible decisions regarding their economic development and growth, helping to free the Legislature from time-consuming local issues.

“In important ways, this legislation improves existing tools and provides a few new ones to continue our strong job growth, and I thank the Legislature for being so responsive,” said Patrick. “At the same time, we have unfinished business, so I am filing further legislation today to give innovators and municipalities all the tools they need to grow jobs and opportunity.”

The act bolsters the economic revitalization of the Commonwealth’s Gateway Cities with $15 million for the Gateway Cities Transformative Development Fund and encourages the reuse of brownfields in economically distressed areas of Massachusetts with $10 million in funding.

“This legislation makes many targeted investments in our emerging industries, like big data and advanced manufacturing, that are necessary to create a competitive environment here in Massachusetts and grow our status as a leader in the world economy,” said Senate President Therese Murray. “By capitalizing on our state’s existing and developing industries, as well as investing in a strong, educated workforce, we are outlining a path to success for our residents and promoting economic development throughout the entire Commonwealth.”

Added House Speaker Robert DeLeo, “this comprehensive bill will help ensure that residents, businesses, and communities are able to compete and excel in a dynamic economy. We’ve made substantial gains in strengthening our economy and must now focus on broadening the circle of prosperity beyond Greater Boston to all regions of the Commonwealth. This bill does just that while preparing future leaders through provisions like MassCAN, a computer-science-education partnership, and the Talent Pipeline Initiative.”

In the area of workforce development and training, the act includes $12 million for the Middle Skills Job Training Grant Fund to support advanced manufacturing, mechanical and technical skills at vocational-technical schools, and community colleges. Also, the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund will receive $1.5 million to prepare Massachusetts residents for new jobs in high-demand occupations, helping close the middle-skills gap and creating a seamless pathway to employment.

The economic-development legislation also includes a number of initiatives to expand the Commonwealth’s world-class innovation economy, including $2 million for a Big Data Innovation and Workforce Fund to promote the use of big data, open data, and analytics, and $2 million for the Innovation Institute Fund at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. The legislation also creates a $1 million talent-pipeline program that will provide matching grants aimed at increasing technology and innovation internships, and another $1 million for a startup mentoring program to connect early-stage entrepreneurs, technology startups, and small business with experienced business enterprises and capital financing.

State Adds 13,800 Jobs in July; Unemployment Rate at 5.6%

By BusinessWest Staff August 15, 2014

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show Massachusetts added 13,800 jobs in July for a total of 3,422,100 jobs, and the total unemployment rate edged up 0.1% to 5.6% from the June rate. The rate is still the lowest since August 2008 and is below the 6.2% national unemployment rate.

Since July 2013, Massachusetts has added a net of 67,300 jobs, with 66,400 jobs added in the private sector. The total unemployment rate for the year is down 1.6% from the July 2013 rate of 7.2%. BLS also revised its June job estimates to a 2,500-job gain from the 3,700 previously reported for the month. Here is the July employment overview:

• Professional, scientific, and business services added 5,000 jobs (+1.0%) over the month. Over the year, professional, scientific, and business services added 13,300 (+2.6%) jobs.

• Education and health services gained 3,800 jobs (+0.5%) over the month. Over the year, education and health services gained 24,000 (+3.3%) jobs.

• Construction added 1,900 jobs (+1.5%) over the month. Over the year, the sector has added 2,400 (+2.0%) jobs.

• Trade, transportation, and utilities added 1,900 jobs (+0.3%) over the month. Over the year, trade, transportation, and utilities gained 12,800 (+2.3%) jobs.

• Financial activities gained 1,000 jobs (+0.5%) over the month. Over the year, the sector added 2,500 (+1.2%) jobs.

• Other services added 800 jobs (+0.6%) over the month. Over the year, jobs are up 3,300 (+2.7%) in this sector.

• Leisure and hospitality gained 600 jobs (+0.2%) over the month. Over the year, the sector added 4,300 (+1.3%) jobs.

• Manufacturing added 500 jobs (+0.2%) jobs over the month. Over the year, manufacturing lost 600 (-0.2%) jobs.

Labor Secretary Visits Inaugural Class at Tech Foundry

By BusinessWest Staff August 12, 2014

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rachel Kaprielian recently sat in on the first class of students at Tech Foundry, a new workforce-development program that will recruit, train, and place urban high-school students, unemployed college graduates, and veterans in jobs within the high-tech industry in the Pioneer Valley.

Tech Foundry is just one of a number of organizations participating in the Commonwealth’s YouthWorks program, which subsidized jobs and training for more than 4,800 at-risk teens and young adults in 31 communities this summer.

“This is the kind of innovative use of YouthWorks funding that the Patrick Administration would like to see replicated across the state,” said Kaprielian. “Tech Foundry partnered with the Hampden Regional Employment Board (REB) and New England Farm Workers’ Council, which operates the YouthWorks program in Springfield, to introduce these students to in-demand careers and fill the shortage of computer-science professionals in Western Mass.”

Kaprielian shadowed 17-year-old Arian Richardson, one of 22 students in the inaugural class who is taking classes and earning ‘badges’ in hard and soft skills to set them up for entry-level jobs in the tech industry. The high-school students are learning how to dress professionally and interview, as well as basic computer science like scripting and network management. In between classes, the students intern at local tech firms.

“I know that successful business leaders have to know much more about technology than ever before to be competitive in their industry,” said Richardson. “I want to learn technology so that I can be a better leader down the road.”

Added Delcie Bean, president of Tech Foundry and owner of Paragus Strategic IT, “we believe our approach to badge-based learning combined with a curriculum that is 100% driven by regional employers is a unique model that is not only going to someday make Springfield a large employer of IT talent in the country, but also serve as a model for other industries. We are incredibly grateful to have such a great relationship with the REB and Farm Workers’ Council.”

David Cruise, executive director of the Hampden Regional Employment Board, noted that “Tech Foundry represents an innovative opportunity for students to experience a summer of work and learning that exposes them to educational and career pathways in a high-demand industry. The REB is excited about this partnership with Tech Foundry and looks forward to expanding its partnership going forward.”

State Unemployment Rate Drops to 5.5% in June

By BusinessWest Staff July 18, 2014

Daily News

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, citing preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reported that Massachusetts added 3,700 jobs in June for a total of 3,409,500 jobs, and the total unemployment rate edged down one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.5% from the May rate. The rate is the lowest since August 2008.

Since June 2013, Massachusetts has added a net of 48,900 jobs, with 49,400 jobs added in the private sector and 500 jobs lost in the public sector. The total unemployment rate in June was down 1.6% from the June 2013 rate of 7.1%.

Class Action

By BusinessWest Staff June 3, 2014

Employment Sections

Tech Foundry Aims to Build a Skilled Workforce — and More

Delcie Bean, president of Paragus Strategic IT and founder of Tech Foundry.

Paragus Strategic IT, by any measure, is one of the Pioneer Valley’s recent success stories, a fast-growing technology firm that’s getting set to move into a brand-new building in Hadley, having long outgrown its current location.

In fact, said its president, Delcie Bean, the firm would like to grow even faster, but that’s not always possible, because of the difficulty finding the right talent. It’s a story other business owners have been telling as well.

“We have been struggling with staffing for a long time, as has everyone else in the area,” Bean said. “We thought it was just us because our requirements are so stringent, and that’s why we’re having trouble hiring people. But it turns out everyone is looking for the same people but can’t find them — MassMutual, Baystate, Health New England, and smaller places like MassLive, Mobius, and Entre. They’re all having the same problem — they can’t hire. And that impedes growth, it impedes service, it impedes research and development.”

So, about a year ago, Bean started writing down ideas to tackle the problem — on a napkin. “I still have that napkin somewhere,” he said. “I wrote what the problem was and how we can go about solving it.”

The problem, in very specific terms, is that most people applying for available jobs, with IT firms and in other industries, lack not only the necessary skills, he noted, but also a certain level of professional acumen. “They don’t know customer service, they don’t know how to fill out a résumé or cover letter, they can’t interact with people well or write a business-formatted e-mail. Even the ones who have the technical skills, we can’t hire them because they aren’t ‘people people,’ they aren’t professionals — they’re not employable.”

“It’s not just a problem in the IT sector,” he reiterated. “Many sectors in Massachusetts are saying the same thing; they can’t find entry-level employees who come to the table with professional skills. We’ve seen it in precision manufacturing, financial services, healthcare — a lot of the sectors we work with say they have the same problems.”

From those napkin scribblings, however, emerged a possible solution, an ambitious workforce-development program Bean calls Tech Foundry. The goal of the new nonprofit, which will soon complete almost $500,000 in fund-raising for a one-year pilot project, is to train unemployed and high-school-age individuals and match them with the very precise needs of area companies.

“A lot of existing workforce-development programs use a broad-based curriculum, with all the kids learning the same stuff in the same way, then demonstrate what they know by taking tests,” he said. “I had some very frank, open conversations with the community colleges, and they admitted what they’re doing well and where they can improve. They admitted that, in many ways, they’re not equipped to handle what some sectors are asking for.”

The ambitious, innovative Tech Foundry is seeking nothing less than a game change when it comes to training workers and keeping them in a region that has been bleeding talent for a long time. It’s an idea with ramifications for not only education and workforce development, Bean said, but overall economic growth in the region as well.

Badges? We Need Badges

And it all begins by earning badges.

Backing up a little, Bean interviewed a number of companies about their needs and asked them to be very specific. “Customer service? What exactly does that mean? So I asked for 15 things they want applicants to know how to do. Same thing on the technical side — they say they want someone proficient in Excel, so I made them explain exactly what they want them to do in Microsoft Excel.”

Delcie Bean describes the Tech Foundry space, still being completed and furnished, as “Googlesque.”

Tech Foundry distills these specific needs into badges students in the program can earn by learning the designated skills, not unlike in the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. “This badge means they can do these 25 things in Microsoft Excel. If people want them to do other things, there will be another badge we’ll call Intermediate Excel, or Excel 202.

“It allows us to have a common language between employers and people training future employees,” he continued. “Everyone will be on the same page. Right now, we’re misaligned, and this forces us all into one set of agreed-upon skills as we define what each position needs.”

The core idea of Tech Foundry, then, is to use those very specific badges to match job seekers with available jobs.

“We built what we call an engine — a real-world, scalable, real-time model for delivering education,” Bean said. “Say Paragus wants to hire two people. We’d log onto the engine and post the job and a list of badges associated with that position. Then we’d specify when we plan to hire, how many we want to hire, a couple more criteria, and hit submit.”

The end result, he told BusinessWest, resembles not so much a traditional want ad, but something more akin to a manufacturer placing an order for an item: “I say, ‘here’s the part I need; here’s my specific timetable,’ and that part is delivered to me.”

Meanwhile, students in the program will see these requests come up on the engine and get a feel for what they need to accomplish to find the ideal career. “They become aware of market demand and can tailor their education to meet that demand. Maybe a position opens up, and you have 80% of the badges already. You say, ‘I like that company, I like the pay, and I know what I need to do to get where I need to be for them to hire me,’ and you focus your time on getting the remaining badges.”

One of the critical aspects of the program, for many, will be the way it bypasses college debt for those who don’t need a degree and makes college more affordable for those who do.

“We’re going to show kids how to get a $40,000 job right out of high school — to earn a living wage,” said Bean, who famously launched his company when he was 14 and bypassed college to focus on growing it.

While some of the careers Tech Foundry graduates achieve won’t require a college education, he noted, for those that do, many participating companies are expected to offer tuition-reimbursement plans for night school, weekend study, or an online degree. “Why not get your professional education on someone else’s dime? Your education is tailored to the career path you love, you’re doing the work and getting a paycheck at the same time — you’d be crazy not to do it.”

Starting Young

Bean envisions an engine where hundreds of Tech Foundry graduates are seeing precise company needs in real time and constantly making matches. In fact, Bean would like to target four or five groups of career seekers — unemployed people, veterans, young people with some college experience who dropped out, high-schoolers, and — possibly — parolees trying to get a fresh start after jail time. But he can’t serve all those groups right off the bat.

“We decided to pick one for the pilot, and that’s high-school kids,” he said, noting that the initial idea was to teach them job skills, confidence, and professionalism over several years. The problem is that a pilot of 100 students over four years would cost between $3 million and $5 million in personnel and other resources, and Bean thought it unlikely that he’d secure that level of funding for an unproven concept.

So, instead, he’s launching a one-year pilot program involving 25 teenagers, all entering their senior year of high school this fall. It will cost $482,000, most of which has already been raised — mainly with small donations, although larger ones, like $50,000 from MassMutual and $125,000 from an anonymous donor, helped a great deal.

The pilot will essentially be an accelerated version of the program, with the 25 students — who have already been chosen from around 100 applicants — taking part in a six-week curriculum starting July 7 and running through mid-August.

When school starts in the fall, Tech Foundry will essentially become an after-school program, with the participants studying there five to 10 hours a week until graduating in the spring. After that, they will be placed among 15 companies that have committed to participating in the pilot.

“That will be the proof of concept we use to fund-raise, to show that we’re economically viable,” he said, before scaling the project up to 100 participants at a time, from the different demographics he mentioned. Teachers have already been hired, as well as an executive director and director of operations.

Tech Foundry has leased the ninth floor of Harrison Place in downtown Springfield and spent $40,000 renovating it to resemble a Silicon Valley workspace, with brightly colored paint and carpeting and what Bean called “a funky-cool café and weird furniture. It’s a very creative and engaging place. It’s Googlesque.”

Speaking of Google, Bean is thinking big when it comes to the regional economic-development potential of his new enterprise. He noted Cambridge’s tech explosion convinced companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, as well as a number of smaller firms, to set down roots there and generate a critical mass of growth. “They produced 10,000 new jobs in three years. Those are insane numbers, crazy numbers. But it’s been done elsewhere — Raleigh, Austin, New Orleans, Denver … it’s happening all over the country.”

But it only happens where there’s a skilled workforce, because the big players are desperate for talent, he said. And the presence of a Google or Microsoft will help the region retain the talented graduates from UMass and other regional colleges who have been packing up their degrees and leaving for better, higher-paying opportunities than are available here.

“That will solve what people thought was the original problem, the brain drain,” he explained. “We’ll be able to keep UMass graduates because they’ll be able to work at these brand-name companies right here.”

Pieces in the Valley

The catalyst for achieving all that, Bean stressed, is a skilled workforce.

“We all know we have a low cost of living here, tons of infrastructure, a great lifestyle, access to the outdoors — we have all these assets,” he said. “But without a catalyst, we can’t sell those assets. That’s what Tech Foundry is trying to do, to build that catalyst.”

In fact, he added, Greater Springfield has the potential to become an even more promising hub than those other cities he mentioned. “We’re right between Boston and New York, we have an airport in Hartford, we have the computing center and low-cost electric in Holyoke … this is a phenomenal region.”

He believes Tech Foundry will be the first step in keeping more talent in a region with so much to offer. For promising high-school students and eventually others, the project may prove to be a vital link to a lucrative, satisfying career.

“They’ll see the data in real time,” Bean said. “They will know what the market demand is, and they’ll know, in very specific terms, what they need to do to get to the level they need to get that job.”

And, like other local businesspeople who have volunteered to be part of the training starting in July, he’ll be right in the middle of it, teaching some of the classes himself.

“I’m excited that I get to work with these kids,” said someone who understands youthful ambition better than most. “I’m so passionate about this.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Briefcase

By BusinessWest Staff June 3, 2014

Briefcase Departments

UMass to Enhance Fan Experience with Mullins Center Upgrades
AMHERST — UMass Amherst, along with Global Spectrum, one of the nation’s leading public-assembly-facility management companies, recently unveiled plans for a series of renovations at the school’s Mullins Center, a 10,000-seat, multi-purpose entertainment and sports venue, designed to enhance the fan experience. Renovations include the installation of new, dynamic LED sports lighting for the arena and new upholstery for 3,594 seats. Additional, 7,705 seats will have cup holders installed. Universal Electric Co. and Ephesus Lighting have been awarded the bid to replace the existing high-intensity-discharge lighting with LED sports lighting. Ephesus focuses on commercial, industrial, and entertainment lighting that is vibrant and sustainable. With the new lighting in place, fans in the Mullins Center or watching events on HDTV will have a brighter, sharper view of the performance. In addition, the LED sports lighting will cut the venue’s energy costs by 50% to 75% for each event. The new upholstery in all padded seats will provide an upgraded appearance and more comfort. Finally, patrons at every permanent seat will have a secure place to put their drinks. The entire project is expected to be completed by the beginning of August. “These building enhancements are going to take our fans’ experience to a new level,” said Brian Caputo, assistant general manager and director of Operations at the Mullins Center. “Our new partnership with Ephesus Lighting and the upgraded seats will jump-start the 2014 sports season.”

Gaming Commission Revises Licensing Schedule for Casinos
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently released a revised schedule for licensing up to three casinos in the Commonwealth. In Western Mass., the commission still anticipates announcing whether MGM Resorts International gets approval for a Springfield casino on June 13. In Greater Boston, the commission anticipates deciding whether Wynn Resorts’ Everett project or Mohegan Sun’s Revere proposal will get the sole license by Aug. 29 at the earliest or Sept. 12 at the latest. In the southeastern part of the state, the commission expects to complete the application process by late September and issue a license in early 2015. MGM Resorts International is the sole company contending for the sole gaming license to be awarded in Western Mass. after city officials favored the project over a proposal by Penn National Gaming, and after residents of West Springfield and Palmer voted to reject gaming developments by Hard Rock International and Mohegan Sun, respectively. MGM has proposed an $800 million project in Springfield’s South End.

Employment Picture Improves in Massachusetts
BOSTON — The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates for April dropped in 20 labor-market areas and rose in two areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the year, unemployment rates fell in 21 areas, and one area remained unchanged. The preliminary statewide unadjusted unemployment rate estimate for April was 5.6%, down 1.0% from March. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was also down 1.0% from the April 2013 rate of 6.6%. During April, all 12 areas for which job estimates are published recorded seasonal job gains. The largest job gains were in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Springfield, Barnstable, Worcester, and Framingham areas. The seasonally adjusted statewide April unemployment rate, released on May 15, was 6.0%, down 0.3% over the month and down 1.0% over the year. Springfield’s unemployment rate fell to 8.9% in April from 10.2% in March on both an increase in the number of people working and a shrinking labor force. The city’s unemployment rate was 10.4% a year ago. As a region, Greater Springfield saw a one-month employment gain of 1.9%, a gain of 5,600 jobs for a new total of 292,000.

State Marks Completion of Pittsfield Armory Energy Project
PITTSFIELD — State officials recently joined military and public-utility representatives to celebrate the completion of an energy-efficiency project at the Pittsfield Armory as part of the Commonwealth’s Accelerated Energy Program (AEP), and to recognize the effects of energy projects at several Pittsfield court facilities and the Berkshire County House of Correction. The AEP was launched by the state Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) in 2012, with the goal of initiating energy-efficiency projects at 700 state sites in 700 days. To date, energy projects have already been completed or initiated at 535 of these sites. “The partnership between DOER and DCAMM is yielding significant results for state agencies and helping us meet the Commonwealth’s energy, environmental, and economic goals,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “The AEP investment of more than $12 million in the Berkshires is taking a serious bite out of electricity and natural-gas use, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.” Added DCAMM Commissioner Carole Cornelison, “the Accelerated Energy Program has helped to define Massachusetts as a national leader in energy efficiency and conservation, having put in place projects that are already yielding $4.3 million in annual savings. In addition to extraordinary savings, the economic and environmental benefits of projects like this will have a lasting and significant impact across the Commonwealth.” The armory is one of 29 state facilities in the Berkshires and one of 39 military sites across the Commonwealth undergoing energy-efficiency retrofits under the AEP. The $90,000 Pittsfield Armory project is expected to reduce energy consumption by nearly 59% and lower energy bills by 57% each year, while eliminating more than 40 metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually, a 58% reduction. It includes the installation of high-efficiency lighting, lighting controls, occupancy sensors, vending-machine controls, high-efficiency electric motors, and energy-management-system upgrades. The project will receive more than $17,000 in Mass Save incentives from Northeast Utilities and Berkshire Gas and will reduce energy costs by more than $10,000 per year. Energy-efficiency projects at the 39 military sites across Massachusetts will result in annual energy-cost savings of more than $265,000 and reduce GHG emissions by about 890 metric tons, equivalent to the emissions from 185 cars. Across the Berkshires, the AEP will invest more than $12 million in energy-efficiency projects at more than two dozen state sites, resulting in annual energy-cost reductions at these facilities of more than $900,000. Efficiency projects are taking place at a diverse range of facilities, including courthouses, community colleges, offices, transportation depots, and police stations. “I’m passionate about energy-efficiency initiatives and cannot be more pleased to learn of this partnership, which will yield tremendous savings throughout our city,” said state Sen. Benjamin Downing, Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy.

Patrick Administration Launches Solar Initiatives
BOSTON — The Patrick administration recently announced it is accepting applications for the second phase of the Commonwealth’s RPS Solar Carve-Out Program, referred to as SREC-II. The program is designed to meet the governor’s goal of reaching 1,600 megawatts of installed solar capacity by 2020. “I am proud of the work we have done together to make Massachusetts a leader in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and emissions,” Patrick said. “This program will allow the solar industry in Massachusetts to continue to flourish and make solar energy more accessible for businesses, municipalities, and homeowners across the Commonwealth.” The new program aims to ensure steady annual growth, control ratepayer costs, and encourage ground-mounted solar projects on landfill and brownfield sites and residential rooftop solar. “The solar industry in Massachusetts has seen tremendous success since Gov. Patrick took office in 2007,” said state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan. “There is now more than 140 times the amount of installed solar than there was in 2007, and SREC-II will continue our efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, create clean-energy jobs, and make Massachusetts more energy-independent.” Incentives from the first phase of the SREC program led to the broad adoption of solar across businesses, homes, and institutions and helped to grow the amount of solar from 3 megawatts installed when Patrick first took office to 496 megawatts today. In 2013, Massachusetts met the governor’s initial goal of 250 megawatts four years early. Currently, 349 of the Commonwealth’s 351 cities and towns have at least one solar installation. In January, the Patrick administration announced the creation of a residential solar loan program, expected to launch in late summer or fall 2014 to complement SREC-II. “This program extends Massachusetts’ leadership in solar energy as well as our efforts to address climate change. It further illustrates that doing the right thing for the environment is also the right thing to do economically,” said state Sen. Benjamin Downing, Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy.

Developing News

By BusinessWest Staff May 6, 2014

Education Sections

HCC Will Expand into Former Photo Studio, Modernize Facilities

The sign outside tells the story at the former Grynn & Barrett studios in Holyoke.

As he talked about the property at 404 Jarvis Ave. in Holyoke, the former headquarters of the Grynn & Barrett photo studios, and how and when it came onto the market, Holyoke Community College President Bill Messner described the seller, the Grenier family, with that often-used term in real state: “motivated.”

And that adjective could also be applied to the eventual buyer — the college, he told <em>BusinessWest</em>.

That’s because the HCC campus, located almost across the street from the photo studio, is land-locked, and what little vacant land exists on the campus is, by and large, undevelopable, due to environmental and logistical concerns, he explained, recalling the many difficulties with the last new-building project — the Kittredge Center for Business & Workforce Development.

“We literally had to blast away rock to build that facility,” he said. “And while there is other land, it’s environmentally sensitive, as we’ve learned over the years.”

Meanwhile, some of the facilities on the campus, built in the early ’70s, are starting to show their age — and their limitations. This is especially true in the Marieb Science Building, which houses both health and life-sciences programs, said Kathey Hankel, dean of Health and Natural Sciences.

She and Messner said that, while the programs conducted there, especially nursing, are in demand and highly rated, they are offered in cramped quarters, with some labs, including those used for biology, that are seriously out of date.

“Our bio labs are dreadfully out of date — they’re 40 years old,” said Messner, “and we need to get them into the 21st century.”

The opportunity to expand and modernize those facilities is what inspired the college to become motivated when it came to the Jarvis Avenue property, said Messner, noting that the school is now moving forward with a multi-faceted, $15 million initiative centered around creating its new Center for Health Education in the 22,000-square-foot Grynn & Barrett building.

Plans call for moving the nursing program, the radiology technician (rad-tech) offering, and the medical assisting program from the Marieb building to Jarvis Avenue, said Hankel, and then renovate the vacated space to create what will be called the Center for Life Sciences, which will feature larger, more modern life-sciences facilities than exist now, including a clean room that should create new and intriguing learning experiences.

The Grynn & Barrett building, only a decade old, is both modern and flexible, with large amounts of open space, said Hankel, making it ideal for conversion into classrooms, labs, and other learning facilities.

Current plans call for using the top floor for offices and conference rooms for faculty, said Hankel, adding that the ground floor will be used for teaching, with one large classroom and several small ones envisioned. The center will also include a simulation lab that will be much larger and better-equipped than the one currently used at Marieb, a ‘low-tech’ lab, and a radiology suite with a dedicated classroom and state-of-the-art equipment.

The renovation of facilities in Marieb Hall will be equally significant, said Hankel and Messner, adding that the aqddition of a clean room — which they believe will be the first one at a college or university in this region — will be of significant benefit in the training of individuals for in-demand jobs at testing facilities, such as Agawam-based Microtest.

In fact, Microtest CEO Steve Richter was among those who lobbied the Center for Life Sciences to award HCC the $3.9 million grant for the project, said Messner, because he understood the importance of the initiative to workforce development in the growing life-sciences sector.

While plans for these twin, related initiatives are blueprinted, fund-raising efforts continue to finance them, said Messner.

He told BusinessWest that the school received a $3.9 million grant from the Center for Life Sciences for the project, and is going about the task of raising the rest, largely through a capital campaign.

As part of these efforts, school officials are working to meet a unique, $1 million challenge grant from Elaine Marieb, an HCC alum (nursing), former faculty member (biology), author of more than a dozen anatomy and physiology textbooks, and frequent contributor to the college; it’s her name on the science building.

“She’s authored the premier book on Anatomy and Physiology; it’s used by thousands of colleges and universities,” said Hankel. “She’s done well, and she’s always been a big supporter of the college.”

Marieb’s challenge grant is different from most, because the challenge isn’t based on the dollar amount — although that number is a goal as well — but rather on securing 1,000 donations.

Kathy Hankel says the new Center for Health Education will enable HCC to expand its nursing programs and thus help meet what is expected to be great demand for qualified professionals.

“She wanted to get a broad base of people involved in this initiative,” said Messner, adding that organizers now have 800 pledges and are moving closer to securing enough funding to commence with the project.

No firm timetable is in place, but the school is hoping to get started on the Jarvis Street phase of the project by the end of this summer, said Hankel, who anticipates a number of benefits from both phases of this initiative.

For starters, the school can expand its nursing program, which currently boasts enrollment of 110, by 24 to 32 students, she said, adding that the school is looking at introducing a program focused around evening, weekend, and online offerings, which will be attractive to students who must also work full-time.

And the additional enrollment is important, she said, because while the shortage of nurses that visited the region several years ago has eased somewhat, due largely to the sluggish economy that persisted for several years, demand for nurses will soon escalate as older members of the profession move into retirement.

“We had a period for a few years when the economy tanked and no one retired,” she explained. “Now, the economy’s coming back, and nurses are retiring in record numbers, and there will be a huge shortage, perhaps one larger than we initially thought.

“Meanwhile, there is a still a roughly 20% vacancy rate, and that’s primarily in long-term care, and that’s where we’re all heading,” she added. “So this additional capacity is important.”

Meanwhile, relocation of the health-science programs to Jarvis Avenue will enable students and faculty there to become involved in the community, and especially three neighbors to the Grynn & Barrett building — Sullivan Elementary School, Loomis Communities, and the Bowdoin Village low-income housing facility.

Students are already involved with these institutions to one extent or another, said Hankel, but the relocation will enable these efforts to escalate.

“The building is directly adjacent to the Sullivan school; students can walk out the back door and be at the school, and vice-versa — the Sullivan kids can walk over to our building,” she noted. “We’re working with them to provide some health screening for the students with the nurse that’s on staff there, and also do a lot of teaching with the students; the Sullivan school will give us experience with pediatrics that will be beneficial to both parties.”

At the housing complex, run by the Holyoke Housing Authority, HCC students have conducted surveys of residents to identify areas of need that the college might help address, she went on, while also undertaking blood-pressure screenings and efforts to provide medical information to those living there. The move to Jarvis should facilitate efforts to expand those initiatives.

And at Loomis, a multi-faceted senior-living facility, students can get valuable experience in geriatric care, which, with the aging of America, has become a field experiencing explosive growth that will only continue in the years to come, she said.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to work with the community and get the best clinical experiences that are available,” Hankel noted. “We’re very excited about the prospects.”

— George O’Brien

Community Spotlight: Pittsfield

By BusinessWest Staff March 11, 2014

Community Spotlight Features

Economic Transformation Continues in Pittsfield

Community Development Director Douglas Clark says diversity is the key to sustained growth in Pittsfield.

Mayor Daniel Bianchi says downtown Pittsfield is continuing to evolve, and the establishment of a new, multi-million-dollar Innovation Center is moving forward. In addition, a new vocational technical high school is planned as part of a workforce-development initiative, and the city is taking a regional approach to growth.

“We have a lot of good things going on and are progressing nicely,” he told BusinessWest.

Douglas Clark concurred. “We want to be diverse. You have to grow on multiple fronts,” said the city’s community development director.

The Innovation Center holds real promise, and $6.5 million has already been earmarked for the project as part of the Commonwealth’s Life Sciences Bond Bill. It will be built in William Stanley Business Park, which encompasses 52 acres on the grounds of the former General Electric Pittsfield Works. The park opened in the summer of 2012 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its first tenant, Mountain One Financial Center, but since that time, plans for the Innovation Center have taken center stage.

Clark said the original plan called for a ‘life science center,’ but the name was changed to reflect the fact that Pittsfield has more plastic and advanced-manufacturing companies than life-science companies.

The 20,000-square-foot center will provide space for the development of new products, support services, and specialized equipment. Companies will pay a membership fee to use the facility, and will be able to lease space for first-stage commercialization.

“It will provide them with access to new, expensive equipment such as a 3-D printer. Plus, we envision support services with intellectual-property rights, patents, and a range of other things a startup might need,” Clark said. “We also hope to foster connections with one or more research universities, such as UMass or RPI [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute], and become connected to high-speed computer service through the Mass Broadband Initiative. Our hope is that, if a company’s first-stage commercialization is successful, they might move into their own building.”

The center will contain a clean room with a controlled level of contamination, which advanced-manufacturing companies require to produce medical devices and other sensitive equipment.

However, Clark said the room will also offer educational opportunities. “Berkshire Community College could run training in the clean room and tie it into their curriculum.”

Progress has been fueled through a number of groups. Bianchi created a Life Science Task Force to develop ideas for the site, New England Expansion Strategies was hired to conduct outreach and feasibility studies, and Pittsfield Economic Development Authority (PEDA) is doing everything possible to move the project forward via loans and technical assistance. “We are not lying idle,” said the mayor.

Clark agreed. “The task force meets to discuss initiatives, including how Pittsfield can capitalize on life-science industries. They are a strategic focus of the Commonwealth, and we are hoping not to be left out of the discussion,” he said, adding that PEDA has commissioned a study of advanced manufacturing in the Berkshires.

An example of a success story is Nuclea Biotechnologies Inc., which develops and makes diagnostic tests for cancer and diabetes. It moved to Elm Street about a year ago, and recently received a $510,000 state tax incentive from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to develop more manufacturing in Pittsfield and create 25 jobs.

The city and PEDA have also joined forces to entice a rail-car manufacturer to the business park.

“The MBTA [Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority] has issued a request for proposals for an $850 million contract to build railway cars for their Orange and Red Line trains,” with the stipulation that they must be assembled within the state, Clark said. “So a few weeks ago, the city put forth an offer of $1 million, and PEDA offered another $1 million incentive to try to bring a rail-car manufacturer here.”

Proposals are due in May, and any firm coming to Pittsfield will need to develop a parcel and erect a new building in the park, which could cost up to $20 million. But Clark said PEDA has a foundation suitable for construction, and the offer has led to meetings with a number of rail-car manufacturers. “It could bring 200 to 250 jobs to the city,” he added.

Potential for development also exists in Downing Industrial Park, and city officials are in discussion with a high-tech company about the former Meadwestvaco Resource building there, which has been unoccupied for years. If the company decides to settle in the city, Bianchi said, it will add about 100 scientifically oriented jobs to the area.

And although GE closed its transformer and aerospace operation in Pittsfield more than two decades ago, its presence is still evident. GE Advanced Materials, now owned by SABIC Innovative Plastics, has made Pittsfield its North American headquarters, and General Dynamics occupies many of the old GE buildings and is a major employer for the area.

Expanding Metropolis

The city’s downtown, which has undergone a transformation over the past decade, continues to evolve. Pittsfield has received $1.7 million to complete work on its main common, which Bianchi describes as “the largest, most centrally located urban block in the city,” and an additional $2 million in grants has been allocated for Phase 3 of the downtown streetscape-improvement project.

Community Development Specialist Laura Mick noted that infrastructure improvements have been ongoing since 2005, when a concerned citizens advisory committee told city officials the area needed more aesthetic appeal, better lighting, and improved pedestrian safety. “So we updated the master plan. We wanted to create a new image.”

To that end, new sidewalk treatments and LED decorative lighting have been installed; bump-outs were shortened, which makes it safer to cross the streets; and benches, bike racks, new trees, and a rain garden have combined to change the landscape.

Mick said Phase 3 of the plan, which will kick off this spring, will continue the improvements and include a bicycle lane.

The project has brought new restaurants and retail shops to the area, and Bianchi said there is not much vacant space left as developers continue to take advantage of tax credits and repurpose buildings that had sat abandoned for years.

They include the former Berkshire Bank building on 54 North St. Last month, NBT Bank opened a full-service location on the first floor, which will serve as the central location for its Berkshire County presence. Office space on the second floor has also been leased out and is being rented by attorneys. “The building is unique, and the bank fills a gap downtown,” Bianchi said.

A block away, Allegrone Construction is converting the old Goodrich House behind City Hall into about 20 market-rate apartments. That project is nearing completion, but Allegrone has plans for a similar makeover in the nearby Onota building.

In addition, Tierney Construction recently announced construction of a new boutique hotel with 43 rooms and space for meetings. It will occupy 68,000 square feet in two connected brick buildings that run from 273 to 297 North St. “Tierney will also maintain the two restaurants that are there now, and hope to get started on the hotel in 12 to 18 months,” Bianchi said.

Other efforts to promote vitality include a parking-management study commissioned by the city to ensure it is using available space wisely. “These things all work together to create a vibrant downtown,” Clark said.

Change is also occurring nearby. “We are seeing little restaurants, shops, and ethnic markets opening,” Bianchi said, adding that they offer Polish, Far Eastern, and Columbian products.

In addition, an architect hopes to put greenhouses inside the former Eagles building in the Morningside neighborhood, located a few blocks from downtown. “It would complement the farmers’ market that opened last year,” Bianchi said.

The arts community is also thriving. “Pittsfield used to be the ‘hole in the donut’ as far as the arts went, but with the Colonial and Berkshire theaters, Great Barrington Stage, the Beacon Cinema, and our First Friday Art Walks, we have filled that hole,” Clark said.

Bianchi said Barrington Stage opened a second venue about three years ago in a former Veterans of Foreign Wars hall, and the city’s newest art project, which is in the works, is a retrospective that will show how art and industry intertwined throughout Pittsfield’s history.

“The GE plant created glass bushings that were almost a crossover between art and industry,” the mayor said, citing one example. The undertaking will include televised interviews of residents who will recall the heyday of the mills.

In addition to arts and entertainment, Clark said the city offers recreation in the form of a state forest, a ski area, three golf courses, and two large lakes within city limits. But the arts overlay district and these venues are not enough to attract and retain skilled workers, so city officials are working in conjunction with other groups on workforce development.

To that end, a new vocational technical high school will be built on the grounds of Taconic High School, where enhanced programs to prepare people for careers in advanced manufacturing can be developed with partners such as Berkshire Community College.

Bianchi said the city is working with the Mass. School Building Needs Authority on the high school. DAR Associates in Waltham was selected to do the design, and it expects to have several concepts to choose from that will result in either a renovation and expansion of the existing building or a brand-new school. “The new school is integral to helping businesses grow,” the mayor said.

Moving Forward

Progress is expected to continue as people from many walks of life continue to join forces.

“We have a community that knows how to work together and really pull together for mutual purposes, and we are able to turn to the state and federal government and show them investments downtown which inspire them to invest in us,” Bianchi said. “We also have had good public and private partnerships for the last 10 years, and Mass Business Development is interested in helping us with a lot of these projects.”

Clark concurs. “Things don’t change in a linear, predictable fashion,” he said. “They spiral up or down, and right now, Pittsfield is in a good upward spiral.”

Pittsfield at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1761
Population: 44,737 (2010); 45,793 (2000)
Area: 42.5 square miles
County: Berkshire
Residential Tax Rate: 16.70
Commercial Tax Rate: 34.47
Median Household Income: $35,655
Family Household Income: $46,228
Type of government: Mayor, City Council
Largest employers: Berkshire Health Systems, General Dynamics Advanced Info Systems, SABIC Innovative Plastics

* Latest information available

Briefcase

By BusinessWest Staff February 11, 2014

Briefcase Departments

Community Partnerships Created to Promote Health
BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration recently announced more than $40 million in grants to nine community-based partnerships — including networks in Holyoke and Pittsfield — to help fight chronic illness and improve health outcomes while reducing healthcare costs. Part of the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund, this first-in-the-nation effort is part of a $60 million grant over four years created by the Legislature and administered by the Department of Public Health (DPH). “In Massachusetts, we believe that healthcare is a public good, and every resident deserves access to affordable, quality care. These grants will help us reach that goal by funding the intervention strategies proven to work,” Patrick said. The fund supports community-based partnerships in achieving measurable health goals through research-based interventions. Working together, municipalities, healthcare systems, community organizations, businesses, regional planning organizations, and schools design community-specific programs addressing issues such as hypertension, smoking, falls prevention among older adults, and pediatric asthma. As a condition of funding, each partnership must achieve specified health and cost-saving benchmarks on at least two of the four health issues prioritized by the trust. “As a registered nurse, I’ve seen the power of prevention in improving health outcomes, and the importance of local partnerships in driving change at the community level,” said DPH Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett. “These Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund grants will promote both of these worthy objectives in cities and towns across the Commonwealth.” Funded partnerships will work to reduce rates of the most prevalent and preventable health conditions, advance healthy behaviors, increase the adoption of workplace wellness or health-management programs, and address health disparities. Each of the nine grantees will receive up to $250,000 for the first phase of their work. As grantees demonstrate their readiness to implement interventions in community and clinical settings, they will receive additional funding between $900,000 and $1.5 million for each of the next three years. The amount each partnership receives depends upon population covered and the number of conditions addressed. The two local coordinating organizations are Berkshire Medical Center (partnering with Berkshire County Boards of Health, Berkshire United Way, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Berkshire Public Health Alliance, Fairview Hospital, North Adams Regional Hospital, North Berkshire Community Coalition, and Tri-town Health Department District); and Holyoke Health Center (partnering with the city of Holyoke, Greater Holyoke YMCA, Holyoke Medical Center, River Valley Counseling Center, and Western Mass Physician Associates). For more information on the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund, visit mass.gov/pwtf.

Markey, Warren Press for Release of Heating Assistance
WASHINGTON — With millions of families facing harsh weather and economic conditions and nearly $490 million still remaining this year for the nation’s low-income heating-assistance program following recent passage of the omnibus spending bill, U.S. Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren called on the Obama administration to immediately distribute those energy assistance benefits to Massachusetts residents. In a letter sent to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the senators argue that budgetary certitude created by passing the 2014 appropriations bill allows the department to immediately distribute the almost $490 million remaining in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Temperatures have fallen in recent weeks to dangerous levels, but home heating prices have risen more than forecast. “A combination of frigid temperatures and higher than anticipated energy prices is creating a dire situation for many New England households,” according to the letter. “Releasing the nearly $490 million in remaining LIHEAP funds for this year as soon as possible is imperative to ensure that families who have already been stretched to the limit by these cuts can continue to pay their heating bills. We urge HHS to immediately release Massachusetts’ share of all remaining heating-assistance funds for the current year.” LIHEAP funding has also been cut by about one-third over the last four years, leading to a reduction in benefits and the number of families receiving assistance in many states. Markey and others have called for a restoration of full funding for the LIHEAP program to $5.1 billion per year.

Massachusetts Adds 10,300 Jobs in December; State’s GDP on Rise
BOSTON — The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) recently reported that the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) preliminary estimates show that Massachusetts added 10,300 jobs in December, and the total unemployment rate was 7.0%. Over the year, the unemployment rate was up 0.3% from the December 2012 rate of 6.7%. The private sector added 10,400 jobs in December as professional, scientific, and business services; trade, transportation, and utilities; leisure and hospitality; financial activities; and other services all added jobs. Over the year (December 2012 to December 2013), Massachusetts added 55,500 jobs in total, 54,500 of which were in the private sector. The December 2013 estimates show 3,237,600 Massachusetts residents were employed and 243,800 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,481,300. The December labor force decreased by 1,900 from 3,483,200 in November 2013, as 100 more residents were employed and 1,900 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. The labor force was an estimated 500 below the 3,481,800 December 2012 estimate, with 10,600 fewer residents employed and 10,300 more residents unemployed. Meanwhile, Massachusetts real gross domestic product grew at an estimated annual rate of 5.5% in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to the MassBenchmarks Current Economic Index. MassBenchmarks is the journal of the Massachusetts economy published by the UMass Donahue Institute based in Hadley in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. It reports that the state’s economy is growing faster than the nation’s as a whole. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports national real gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 3.2% during the same period. In 2013, state economic growth outpaced that of the nation in three of four quarters, according to the report. “The Massachusetts economy appears to be benefiting from improving conditions in national and international economies, and by increasingly confident households who are demonstrating a willingness to spend,” writes Alan Clayton-Matthews, MassBenchmarks senior contributing editor and associate professor of economics and public policy at Northeastern University.

Cruise Control

By BusinessWest Staff January 14, 2014

Employment Sections

REB’s New Director Wants to Build on Recent Momentum

Dave Cruise says one of his priorities is to continue the employment board’s tradition of innovation in tackling regional workforce-development issues.

Dave Cruise’s desk — or, more specifically, what sits on it — speaks volumes about his work with the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, and also his work ethic and his passion for putting other people to work.
Sitting in one corner are a few “toys,” as he calls them, including a plastic device (a tracheal tube of sorts once made by Mitchell Machine in Springfield), as a well as a small plastic castle tower, complete with an interior staircase, that are there as reminders of the many different types of products made in this region and of the high degree of precision involved with such work.
There’s also his personal pair of safety goggles, given to him by officials at Hoppe Technologies in Chicopee, which have been put to great use over the years as Cruise has carried out his assignment as project director of the REB’s Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project, as well as a pair of earplugs, which haven’t been used much at all, by his recollection, because he likes to listen.
And then, there’s the paperwork.
It covers all but a few square inches of desk, credenza, and connecting leaf that is home to his computer monitor. It has become the stuff of legend in this agency, and Cruise can readily joke about it.
“People who know me would say my desk actually looks pretty clean today,” he said with a laugh as he talked with BusinessWest on the last day of 2013. “It may look cluttered, but it’s organized; I know where everything is, trust me.”
Hopefully he can say the same thing in a few weeks after he moves everything next door, to the much larger office assigned to the REB’s president, a post he officially assumed late in the afternoon on Jan. 2 as Bill Ward closed the book on a more-than-30-year stint at the helm of the agency.
Cruise’s new desk will likely become even more cluttered than the old one because there is much work to do in the weeks and months ahead — and for the time being, he won’t be naming a new project director of the Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project.
“I’m going to be very careful about what our budget looks like moving forward into FY 15 so that we have the resources to be able to do what we need to do here. Before I add staff, I want to make sure we can sustain that staff,” he explained, adding that, while he’ll be keeping some of his former responsibilities with that program, he’ll also be parceling others out to different staff members.
In the meantime, he will also be leading the work to draft a new strategic plan for the REB. The previous, three-year document sunsetted at the end of the year, he explained, adding that, under normal circumstances, a new one would certainly have been in place by now, but the search for a new director — and Ward’s insistence that his successor be involved with writing a new plan — changed the timetable.
Cruise will bring to his new position a wide range of experience in workforce development and education, including a lengthy stint as director of the Mass. Career Development Institute (MCDI) and a host of assignments with Springfield Public Schools, as well as some specific skills and management techniques he’s developed over a 45-year career.
“My training has always been in workforce development, so I feel very comfortable moving from what I would describe as a sectoral initiative in manufacturing to seeing that sectoral initiative as part of the REB’s broader mission around workforce development and job creation,” he explained. “I’m excited about the opportunity to come into this work; I believe I can add some value to work we’re doing here. Bill has been a pioneer, and I hope to build on what’s been accomplished. The platform is there, and my role is to come here and move that work to the next level.”
For this issue and its focus on employment, BusinessWest talked at length with Cruise about his new assignment and also about the many challenges facing both employers and those looking to join the workforce.

Moving the Pile
Cruise said that he was not initially a candidate for the president’s position when Ward officially announced he would be stepping down early last summer, primarily because he considered much of the work he was doing with the region’s manufacturing sector to be unfinished business. And he wanted to finish it, or at least stay with it.
But things changed as the search commenced, reached a point last fall where a few finalists were interviewed, and was then expanded, he explained.
“I had given it some thought during the initial process last summer, but didn’t get engaged at that point,” he explained. “I continued to give it some thought both personally and professionally when the process was expanded. I sat down with my family and talked about the work ahead, and decided to become an applicant.
“I was very much involved in the work I’m doing in manufacturing, and I’m very committed to that assignment,” he went on. “I realized that, going forward, that work is part of a broader body of work being done here at the Regional Employment Board, and that I could probably bring that work to the level that I wanted to by being in a position to influence, manage, and direct the work from a different perspective and bring some different resources to it.”
Thus, Cruise will add another line to a diverse résumé with a number of stops, all involved, in one way or another, with the broad ream of workforce development.
He started in 1967 at Springfield’s Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical High School, where he taught English until 1973, before moving to MCDI.
He first served as supervisor, overseeing training programs for unemployed adults and youth, while also analyzing labor-market trends and assessing needs within specific sectors of the economy. He was named director in 1980 and managed the now-closed agency through one of the busiest periods in its history, managing a staff of more than 150 and training up to 550 people in day and evening division programs.
From MCDI, he moved on to Springfield Public Schools, where he served as director of Occupational Education, director of personnel, chief operations officer, and finally executive director of Human Resources.
He then worked briefly as a consultant before being tapped by Ward to be program manager of the Literacy Works of Hampden County initiative from 2004 to 2006, and then the Precision Manufacturing Regional Alliance Project.
Over the past seven years, Cruise has been putting those goggles, if not the earplugs, to good use, visiting area precision manufacturers, assessing their needs, and developing programs to put more workers in the pipeline. Among the many initiatives that have occupied his time — and space on his desk — have been efforts to introduce young people to the manufacturing sector and convince both them and their parents that it is a field with a future, not just a glorious past.
One of the more recent endeavors, launched just last fall, is a pilot program called Pathways to Prosperity in Advanced Manufacturing, or simply ‘Pathways,’ which puts ninth-grade students at West Springfield High School on a career pathway that will eventually take them to Springfield Technical Community College and then, hopefully, employment with one of the many manufacturers desperate for qualified help.
The program, which started with 40 students, involves a number of partners, ranging from the REB, STCC, and the high school to several employers in West Side and Agawam (among them Advance Welding, Hayden Corp., Ben Franklin Design & Manufacturing, and Atlantic Fasteners), as well as the Eastern States Exposition, NUVO Bank, and the Bates Fullum Insurance Agency.
Cruise counts the ability to create and sustain such partnerships as one of his greatest strengths, and he said it’s one of many skill sets he will need as he goes about the task of guiding the REB as it carries out a rather broad mission.
Overall, he views his primary job description to be both innovator and facilitator when it comes to the REB’s many initiatives.
“We have a very talented group of people here. They work very hard, and they’re very dedicated to the mission of the REB,” he told BusinessWest. “They understand the vision, the values, and the purpose of the organization. My job is to be a resource to them and provide them with the tools they need to take their work to the next level.
“My goal is to strive toward operational excellence,” he went on. “I’m very committed to making sure that we do quality work that will respond to the business needs of the companies in the area, but that we also keep focused on our commitment to the customers, the clients that we’re here to serve.”

Parts of the Whole
Cruise expects a new strategic plan to be ready for the REB’s quarterly meeting in March, if not sooner. When asked about what will likely be in it, he said it will continue to focus on the many aspects of the REB’s mission and priorities such as youth, literacy, education, and especially innovation.
That last term essentially defined Ward’s lengthy tenure as REB president, he went on, and the agency must continue to exude that quality if it is to meet the region’s many workforce challenges — and secure the public and private funds that will be needed to carry out those assignments.
“I’m committed to the notion of innovative ideas,” Cruise explained, adding that this is an important companion piece to one of the REB’s primary assignments — collecting workforce data. “It’s going to be very important to look at some of the work being done by the REB that I believe is innovative and seeing how we can scale that work up, not only across the region but perhaps across the state.”
Moving forward, he said there are several priorities for the REB that are both part of its mission and key elements for the new strategic plan. They include:
• Identifying new public and private funding sources, or, more specifically, combinations of both for various initiatives;
• Continuing and escalating programs involving literacy and, overall, the education and employability of adults;
• A focus on young people and making sure they have what Cruise called the “employability skills necessary in the 21st century,” work that involves everything from early childhood education to programs like Pathways;
• Work to deepen and broaden relationships with area businesses and industry groups; and
• Being an advocate for workforce development as economic development, or, as Cruise put it, “telling our story.”
Elaborating, he said that all of these concepts, or strategic initiatives, are interrelated, and as an example, he said that workforce-development-related agencies (like the REB) that have good data as well as innovative ideas about what to do in response to that information, and work aggressively to tell their stories, are better-positioned to secure funding for such initiatives.
“It’s going to be those organizations and those agencies that have good data, have good strategic plans, have a clear mission, and then have the talent to pull it off, that are going to be able to get funding moving forward,” he explained. “I’m very committed to operational excellence here at the REB; I want to make sure that we’re doing quality work and that our work defines us, because I believe that if we can make that case and share it with people, especially with this notion of innovation and innovative ideas, that money will follow.
“I don’t think you can go out today and simply make an ask,” he continued, referring to requests for state and federal funds that are in shorter supply than years ago, as well as private money from businesses and foundations. “You simply need to demonstrate that you can add value to what that ask is all about.”
As for that goal of deepening and broadening relationships with industry groups and specific businesses, Cruise said this assignment involves both telling the REB’s story and, more importantly, listening to what those in various sectors are saying about what they’re seeing today — and expect to see tomorrow.
“I want to deepen those relationships, but I also want to engage more business and industry in different sectors in the work we’re doing,” he said. “I’m going to try to spend a reasonable amount of time out in the community. I want to go out and listen and learn; I want to see how people who are familiar with our work perceive us, and for people who are not familiar with the work we do, I want to build a relationship and a partnership with them.”

Work in Progress
When asked about the particular strengths he believes he brings to the table, Cruise put “relationship building and partnership building” at the very top of the list.
“I’m a good listener, and I believe in convening and facilitating,” he said, adding that these are qualities that will serve him well as he goes about the task of not only continuing to carry out the REB’s broad mission, but also building a tradition of innovation.
He said he has the commitment — and the desk space — to carry out his new assignment.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Trending Now

TWO Program Is Honored for Closing Workforce Skills Gaps

Tech Foundry Aims to Build a Skilled Workforce — and More

HCC Will Expand into Former Photo Studio, Modernize Facilities

Economic Transformation Continues in Pittsfield

Pittsfield at a glance

REB’s New Director Wants to Build on Recent Momentum

Blog Posts

News

Contact

Advertise

Events