There are not enough skilled workers to meet the demands of Massachusetts’ Blackstone Valley region's business community. Traditionally, community colleges and technical schools have answered this call by investing in programs that provide students with the technically-rich skill sets that employers are seeking to lead them into the future. While this is proving to be a step in the right direction it is also a strategy that isn’t without its challenges, prompting the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce to step in and help.
Due to the high demand in Massachusetts for training and up-skilling programs, many students who apply for these programs get turned away or placed on months or years-long waiting lists. That's where the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce acted upon the opportunity to help ease this pressure by investing in an Advanced Manufacturing Education Hub.
The Ed Hub worked closely with Mark Lyons from AET Labs to secure funding from a state technical training grant initiative, as well as generous support from multiple local secondary and post-secondary institutions and businesses, to purchase and install equipment and make the necessary space renovations to support this effort. The facility includes a state-of-the art Stratasys Continuous Build 3D printer that enables the students in the program to 3D print from a remote location on a scalable and cloud-enabled system.
