New Members
WESTFORD — Nashoba Valley Technical High School has received $210,000 in the second round of grants announced by Gov. Charlie Baker’s Workforce Skills Cabinet, one of just four schools to receive funding this round.
The purpose of the grants is to transform vocational-technical high schools into Career Technical Institutes, running three shifts per day to expand enrollment of high-school students and adults.
That is already happening at Nashoba Tech, which earlier this year was one of eight schools to receive Career Technical Initiative grants in the first round of funding.
According to Jobee O’Sullivan, director of Postsecondary, Continuing & Community Education for Nashoba Tech, the grant will allow the school to continue to provide training for those who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will be free to those participants.“Round One of CTI training is going great,” she said. “We have a terrific group of motivated students.”
Nashoba Tech is offering 200-hour adult training programs that provide the hands-on and theory skills necessary for entry-level employment in Plumbing and Automotive Services.
With the second grant, the school has added another plumbing course to run June 7 through Aug. 18.
In the current round of training, Plumbing students are working toward their Tier 1 Plumbing hours and OSHA-10 Construction safety cards, O’Sullivan said, and industry representatives from Local 12 Boston Plumbers Union, J. Ellis Plumbing & Heating of Townsend and Viega products have come to the school to speak with the students.
Meanwhile, Automotive students have earned Advance Auto Parts, Valvoline and WD-40 credentials, are working to complete their 10-Hour OSHA General Industry Safety cards, and are preparing to take Automotive Service Excellence, or ASE, exams for nationally recognized industry certifications.
Residents in any of Nashoba Tech’s eight district towns can apply — Ayer, Chelmsford, Groton, Littleton, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend and Westford — and surrounding communities can apply for second round of training by emailing O’Sullivan at josullivan@nashobatech.net.
Employers interested in getting involved and partnering with Nashoba Tech can also email josullivan@nashobatech.net.
Nashoba Tech’s grant partners for the second round of training include Triangle Service Center of Chelmsford; Acton Toyota of Littleton; Atamian Honda of Tewksbury; Stansfield Tire Center of Lowell; Schlager Company of Weymouth; Basnett Plumbing Heating & AC of Littleton; Eric C. Foster Plumbing & Heating of Chelmsford; and the Local 12 Plumber’s Union.
