New development agency for 26 North County communities
The NCMEDC was launched with a $250,000 state appropriation lauded by the collaborators as a joint legislative effort. Its mission will be to brand a region which has the highest percentage of manufacturing jobs of anywhere in the state, at 23.5 percent, surpassing even Southern Worcester, at 13.7 percent. It’s also a region in which the two colleges - Fitchburg State College and Mount Wachusett Community College – are the largest employers in terms of local headcount.
Graduates of those colleges tend to remain in the area, and MWCC President Daniel Asquino notes the mutual benefit of bringing in good jobs at good wages to the area, which, in turn, would attract more industry to tap the skilled workforce.
The three collaborators are now inviting members of the 26 communities to join the NCMEDC. Its agenda includes regional economic research such as demographics and trends; individual company assistance, such as workforce training and financing programs; and educational seminars and lending programs to attract and retain business.
The initiative comes at a time when the region’s plastics manufacturers are struggling with high resin costs and foreign competition, says North Central Mass. Chamber of Commerce President David McKeehan.
"We have the highest concentration of manufacturing in any region of the state," he said at an Oct. 16 press conference announcing NCMEDC’s formation. "But that’s not the only concentration we’ll be looking to attract." At the end of November, the NCMEDC will review a draft of its action plan, finalize it and develop some action steps to carry it out.
Christina P. O’Neill can be reached at coneill@wbjournal.com
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