Tech Foundry, HCC to Celebrate Grand Opening of Tech Hub on Oct. 25

HOLYOKE — Tech Foundry, a regional leader in IT workforce development and training, in partnership with Holyoke Community College (HCC), will celebrate the grand opening of Tech Foundry’s new Tech Hub on Wednesday, Oct. 25, beginning at 10 a.m. on the first floor of HCC’s Picknelly Adult and Family Education Center, located at 206 Maple St., Holyoke.

The following day, Thursday, Oct. 26, Tech Hub will officially open to the general public, offering free services and classes that include digital skills training workshops, walk-in IT support and troubleshooting, internet-connectivity consultations, and computer distribution (free in limited quantities).

Tech Hub, a program of the Springfield-based nonprofit Tech Foundry, was started in 2023 as part of a statewide initiative of the Western Massachusetts Alliance for Digital Equity, which received a $5.1 million grant earlier this year from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute. Along with HCC, other key partners and supporters of the Tech Hub project include the Accelerate the Future Foundation, Comcast, Google, Bulkley Richardson, and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute.

“Tech Hub’s mission is to empower Massachusetts residents through access to the skills and technology needed to thrive in the digital world,” said Michelle Wilson, deputy director of Tech Foundry.

The Oct. 25 celebration will include a tour of the Tech Hub facility, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and remarks from attendees, including Tech Foundry CEO Tricia Canavan; HCC President George Timmons; Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia; state Rep. Pat Duffy; Frank Robinson, vice president for Community Relations and Public Health at BayState Health and chair of the Western Massachusetts Alliance for Digital Equity; and Dan Glanville, vice president of Government Affairs and Community Impact for Comcast’s Western New England Region.

“We understand the important role that the Internet plays in helping build a future of unlimited possibilities for everyone in the community,” Glanville said. “We are proud to partner with organizations like Tech Foundry that are making it easier for people across Western Massachusetts to adopt the internet and succeed in an increasingly digital world.”

Starting Oct. 26, Tech Hub will be open noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with classes held from noon to 1 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. On Mondays and Fridays, Tech Hub Manager Shannon Mumblo and Tech Hub fellows will take their IT services into the community around Western Mass.

“We’re starting by doing outreach in Springfield and Holyoke, and we have also been making partnerships with different organizations in Amherst and South Hadley,” Mumblo said. “We will take our workshops on the road and go to the places and spaces where they are needed.”

To learn more, sign up for classes, and access Tech Hub help-desk support, visit techhubmass.net.