Greater Worcester

Academic, business and political leaders brainstormed ways Wednesday to attract more young people into manufacturing, from improving education to tapping the awe-inducing capabilities of information technology.

UMass Memorial Health Care announced Wednesday the elimination of 103 full-time equivalent positions at its Worcester locations in the system's latest round of layoffs, which began in March.

Siemens AG, the German conglomerate that makes steel mills in Worcester, announced $660 million in software grants Wednesday to support manufacturing programs at Massachusetts vocational schools and colleges.

Weather-related disruptions put a dent in earnings for CSX Corp. in the first quarter, bringing net income down to $398 million, compared to $462 million in 2013, the freight carrier announced.

Three Central Massachusetts nonprofit charities are among 70 throughout the eastern United States that have been awarded more than $400,000 by the charitable arm of BJ's Wholesale Clubs.

The UMass ALS Champion Fund has been renamed in honor of former governor Paul Cellucci, U Mass Medical School Chancellor Michael F. Collins announced Thursday.

Quinsigamond Community College broke ground today on a $23 million, 30,000-square-foot engineering and technology building.

The Worcester-based Reliant Medical Group Foundation has awarded $70,000 in its latest round of community grants to Central Massachusetts organizations in support of curbing childhood obesity and increasing access to health care.

The University of Massachusetts system has added 23 new online degree and certificate programs to meet increasing demand for online education, according to Shrewsbury-based UMassOnline, the system's Internet learning consortium.

The DCU Center has entered into an exclusive, multiyear coffee partnership with Plainville-Based Honey Dew Donuts.