Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, along with five other Massachusetts community colleges, has established a new apprenticeship degree program, pairing students with local employers in an effort to boost the region’s workforce.
Through the initiative, QCC students will simultaneously enroll in class for credit while participating in paid apprenticeships in industries including healthcare, education, and information technology, according to a joint Thursday press release from QCC and the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges.
More than 30 companies have signed on to offer apprenticeships, including Worcester-based Reliant Medical Group, Advocates in Framingham, and SALMON Health and Retirement, headquartered in Milford.
“Today’s students need pathways that are responsive to today’s workforce,” QCC President Luis Pedraja said in the release. “Apprenticeship degrees allow us to integrate emerging industry needs directly into academic learning and position students to step confidently into careers where they can contribute and grow from day one.”
Along with three other community colleges involved in the partnership, QCC has already placed students into the new degree track, training for careers such as practical nurses, behavioral health technicians, and K–12 teachers.
New tracks are set to be added to the program, including those in cybersecurity, medical laboratory technology, and dental assisting.
The program is funded through $6 million in grants provided by the Newton-based Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation and Accelerate the Future, a fellow Newton-based family foundation.
“By aligning education directly with labor market demand, apprenticeship degree pathways help companies grow talent locally, expand opportunity for students, and keep Massachusetts competitive,” Nate Mackinnon, MACC executive director, said in the release.
The six community programs participating in the new apprenticeship degree track are listed below:
- Quinsigamond Community College
- Bunker Hill Community College in Boston
- MassBay Community College, with campuses in Wellesley and Framingham
- Middlesex Community College, with campuses in Bedford and Lowell
- North Shore Community College in Danvers
- Northern Essex Community College, with campuses in Haverhill and Lawrence
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare, manufacturing, and higher education industries.
