QCC puts out 'Help Wanted' sign for manufacturing jobs
Quinsigamond Community College is spearheading a partnership of Worcester-area K-12 schools, colleges and businesses designed to boost the pool of employees qualified for new manufacturing jobs. The college recently announced the creation of the Massachusetts Technical Education Collaborative (Mass-TEC), supported by a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
Speaking at the college, Rep. James McGovern, D-3rd District, said there is a common misconception that the region's manufacturing era is over. He said growing high-tech industries will create more and more manufacturing jobs in the coming years.
Not if, but when
"The issue is no longer whether these jobs are going to be created," McGovern said. "The question is whether they're going to come here."
He said a qualified workforce is one of the key factors that draws manufacturers to an area.
College officials said Mass-TEC will use the NSF grant to provide information on careers in manufacturing to local parents, science and technology teachers and career counselors. They said they want not only to counter the perception that there are few good jobs in manufacturing but also to explain the pathway that can lead students from technical high schools to Quinsigamond to Worcester Polytechnic Institute and on to jobs at area high-tech firms.
The college also released a study of the area's manufacturing workforce based on a survey of several major employers. It shows that the companies anticipate a shortage of workers, particularly technical trade-level employees, in the near future.
As part of the new initiative, college officials said, area companies including EMC will be offering internships to QCC students.
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