Press release submitted by Monty Tech
On October 5, 2023, Monty Tech officials traveled to South Shore Vocational Technical High School in Hanover, MA, where they were among leaders from 17 other schools across the Commonwealth, who would be awarded Career Technical Initiative (CTI) grants, to train individuals for careers in high-demand occupations within the trades, construction, and manufacturing sectors. The Healy-Driscoll Administration announced $10,144,414 in awards, allocating a generous $720,000 to Monty Tech.
“CTI grants are critical to our region’s workforce training initiatives,” said Thomas R. Browne, school Superintendent. “These awards allow us to not only offer no-cost training to qualified individuals, but they also encourage business partners to consider their immediate workforce needs, and work closely with our Continuing Education program, to recruit new hires right from these 200-hour certification programs.”
From left: Superintendent Thomas Browne, Director of Continuing Education; Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler; and Trish Woodliff, Director of Monty Tech’s School of Continuing Education. (Courtesy photo)
The CTI grant program, a state-funded workforce initiative, partners with vocational high schools to provide adult learners, especially unemployed and underemployed individuals from underserved populations and underrepresented groups, with career training and technical skills to meet the needs of Massachusetts employers. The program transforms vocational high schools across the Commonwealth to become “Career Technical Institutes,” offering skill-building and certification programs in the construction/trades, manufacturing, and various career pathways.
“We have been fortunate to benefit from Commonwealth Corporation’s generous CTI grants, having received more than $1.6M to expand our training programs, serving area adult learners who are interested in developing the skills needed to start a new career,” stated Trish Woodliff, Director of Monty Tech’s School of Continuing Education. “Round 8 begins January 2024, and will feature training programs in Plumbing, HVAC and Carpentry. MassHire North Central, our partner in this endeavor, has been outstanding to work with, helping us recruit and vet participants, conduct employability workshops and aid in our job placement efforts. This partnership, in conjunction with this extremely generous financial award, is making a difference for North Central Massachusetts,” continued Woodliff.
“Programs like these are vital to achieving our workforce development goals and building the talent pipelines and career pathways we need for a strong Massachusetts economy,” said Governor Healey. “It’s critical that we match skills training and labor demand to support our workers, employers, economy and competitiveness.”
“Massachusetts is known for its educational institutions, and our vocational schools are no exception,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “Utilizing our incredible vocational schools, this program is able to help individuals receive vital job training in critical industries and helps expand our skilled talent pool for employers.”
The CTI program is a signature program of the Governor’s Workforce Skills Cabinet (WSC), chaired by the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, in collaboration with the Executive Offices of Education, Economic Development, and Health and Human Services.
“It is a priority of the Healey-Driscoll administration to promote broad and equitable access to career and technical education for all of our students and families. Our Career Technical Initiatives help us do that by harnessing the equipment and physical resources housed in our vocational high schools to power the reskilling and relearning of our workforce, and I’m proud that the state has delivered more than ten million dollars to continue this critical workforce effort across the Commonwealth," said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler.
Since 2020, more than $16.8 million in funding has been awarded through CTI grants. The CTI Program is administered by Commonwealth Corporation, a quasi-public state agency under the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) that administers EOLWD grant funding and fosters partnerships between industry, education, and workforce organizations. Each CTI proposal was required to include a minimum of three Massachusetts based employer partners that would potentially employ the target occupation and commit to interview and hire graduates. This will be the eighth set of programs funded by the Career Technical Initiative.
CTI Round 8 Recipients, October 5, 2023. (Courtesy photo)