Page 23 - BusinessWest November 23, 2020

oil manipulation, and quality control of cannabis products; and
• Cultivation assistants provide daily care of the crops from seed to harvest.
“Because HCC offers courses in business and customer service, culinary, chemistry, and agri- culture, the career tracks for cannabis training line up well with the expertise the college already has,” said Michele Cabral, executive director of
“These products are extremely clean, closely regulated, and environmentally sustainable. It’s not just about getting high.”
Professional Education and Corporate Learning at HCC, who worked with instructors to set up the cannabis course offerings.
As a community college, HCC doesn’t allow cannabis or associated products on campus. That means classroom instruction might involve using computer simulations to show chemical reac- tions, for example. When a physical demonstra- tion is needed, legally approved items like hemp plants are used in class.
“While we will not have cannabis or related products on campus, we will still do the job edu- cation has always done: share with our students the best knowledge we can provide and the best examples,” Hayden said, noting that students can get actual hands-on experience when they land internships or get placed in a job.
He added that the courses are designed to provide an entry-level workforce for the canna-
bis industry. Wages are usually comparable and sometimes slightly higher than other industries at entry level.
“Even more important than landing that first job is the ability to make a career out of cannabis, because the levels of compensation can be sig- nificant,” he told BusinessWest.
Whether a person is looking for an entry-level job or a second career, Cabral said cannabis can
be a “phenomenal career track” for people who have never considered it before.
For example, someone with a sales back- ground could train as a patient-services associ- ate training to build on the skills they already have. Or someone with a science background and wants to work in a lab could train as an extraction technician to learn about cannabis- infused products such as skin creams and shampoos.
“This person with science and lab training would find an entire industry that is exploding, where they could have an amazing career,” she said. “Who knows? They could come in at entry level and work their way up to be the head of the lab.”
There’s much more to the industry than roll- ing a joint, Cabral continued, noting that canna- bis-infused shampoos and skin creams are only two examples of the many different items that appeal to the general public. “These products are extremely clean, closely regulated, and environ- mentally sustainable. It’s not just about getting high.”
Elevating an Industry
Elevate Northeast, a nonprofit workforce- training and cannabis-advocacy group has part-
nered with HCC on career-training programs at the Cannabis Education Center.
Beth Waterfall, founder and executive director of Elevate Northeast, said the program at HCC
is designed to help people become familiar and comfortable with the industry. “The coursework helps people see that this is real. There’s a place for their interests and their skills.”
Elevate Northeast’s main mission is to provide opportunities for people who have been margin- alized or were disproportionately harmed by pre- vious marijuana prohibitions. The CCC adminis- ters a Social Equity Program to provide assistance and training to encourage those impacted by the ‘war on drugs’ to pursue careers as workers or entrepreneurs in the cannabis field.
Waterfall said righting past wrongs is one of the mandates of the CCC. The Certified Econom- ic Empowerment application process is a way
to encourage people from neighborhoods and communities that suffered from the impact of the war on drugs to seek licenses to open canna- bis microbusinesses. She added that establishing microbusinesses also prevents larger companies from dominating the cannabis market.
“I’m excited about the cannabis industry because, through programs like social equity and economic empowerment, Massachusetts has an opportunity to be a leader in business ownership by people of color and women,” she said.
Waterfall called HCC’s Cannabis Education Center a “wonderful” way to provide people with both an initial exposure and a deep dive into
the cannabis industry, as well as helping people
Job Market
Continued on page 39
[email protected] 413-788-6222
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