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134 AdvancedManufacturing.org | February 2015
Making the Future Through Collaborative Training
I n the rural town of Green� eld, MA, near
the Vermont border, a precision machin-
ing training program is building a robust
pipeline of skilled manufacturing workers.
The secret of the program’s success is the
strong collaboration between local educators,
employers, and government.
In order to design and manufacture parts of
the future, area employers need a highly skilled
workforce. That’s especially true as their exist-
ing workforce ages and business grows.
Just a few years ago, manufacturing was
viewed as a “sunset industry” in Massachu-
setts and across America. Today, according
to a recent report published by the Mas-
sachusetts Of� ce of Labor and Workforce Development on
Employment and Wages, more than 7000 Massachusetts
manufacturers employ over 250,000 people.
With more than 250 manufacturing businesses in Franklin
and Hampshire Counties, and with nearly 15% expected
industry growth in the area by 2020, � nding, recruiting and
developing quali� ed employees is a top priority.
To address this need, the Franklin-Hampshire Regional
Employment Board in collaboration with Green� eld Commu-
nity College (GCC), Franklin County Technical School (FCTS)
and a consortium of area manufacturers created the Middle
Skills Manufacturing Initiative (MSMI) training for entry-level
CNC operators. The program is targeted to unemployed and
under-employed workers in Franklin and Hampshire Counties
with funding from a Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund
grant through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Execu-
tive Of� ce of Labor and Workforce Development adminis-
tered by Commonwealth Corporation.
Concurrent with the development of the MSMI training
program, signi� cant investments were made to modernize
the equipment at FCTS which is used by both day and night
students. The FCTS Machine Fund, a 501C organization
founded by local precision manufacturer, Steve Capshaw,
President of VSS Inc., raised $217,000 from local businesses
which was matched by the Massachusetts Executive Of� ce
of Housing and Economic Development and various grants
to ensure students are now instructed on state-of-the-art
CNC mills, CNC lathes, CNC grinders, metrology tools,
Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manu-
facturing (CAM) programs.
Many businesses have been heavily involved in the local
effort to build the skilled worker pipeline. Local support has
come from more than 20 companies including VSS, Bete
Fog Nozzle, Hassay Savage Co., DuMONT Co., Sisson
Engineering, Poplar Hill, Applied Dynamics Corp, Quabbin
Inc., Mayhew Steel, Small Corp., Amherst Machine, Hillside
Plastics, Judd Wire, Production Tool & Grinding, Kennam-
etal, Cohn & Company, Greenfield Co-Operative Bank and
Greenfield Savings Bank. L.S. Starrett Company donated
precision tools, gages and instruments and Air Compres-
sor Engineering Co. Inc., and Haas Automation Inc. also
provided the in-kind funding.
wWORKFORCE PIPELINEA MONTHLY FEATURE ABOUT TRAINING, EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
February 2015 Workforce.indd 134 1/23/15 10:27 AM
Many of these employers also provide instructors who
partner with teachers from the vocational school. This is im-
portant since the skills required for manufacturing jobs have
changed dramatically as companies have incorporated new
technologies into their operations.
The MSMI training includes blueprint reading, math for
manufacturing, metrology, CAD and CAM instruction, with a
signi� cant portion of the current 220-hour training dedicated
to hands-on applications in a lab/shop setting. The training is
project-based and reinforces the use of applied skills needed
in workplace situations.
Tooling U-SME Supports Program
Students also have additional online assignments to dem-
onstrate their mastery of the topics learned in class. Green-
� eld Community College partnered with Tooling U-SME,
a division of SME, a leader in manufacturing training and
development. Subscriptions to the Tooling U-SME courses
were funded by the Massachusetts Community College and
Workforce Development Transformations Agenda (MC-
CWDTA), which is fully funded through a $20 million Trade
Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career
Training (TAACCCT) grant from the US Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration.
Instructors and area businesses collaborated on the
speci� c Tooling U-SME classes to supplement the hands-on
training. Once the required courses were completed, stu-
dents were encouraged to continue to take online classes to
build their skills and work with their employers to customize a
training program upon hire.
The MSMI program, launched in Fall 2013, has quickly
received very positive feedback. More than 100 people ap-
plied for the 15 training slots in that initial class and Tooling
U-SME online subscriptions were provided to 12 “runner-
up” applicants to build their skills until the next training. This
approach successfully allowed students to showcase their
motivation, willingness to learn new skills and be on the top
of the recruitment list for the next training.
To further help develop skilled workers, Green� eld Commu-
nity College developed a Foundational Manufacturing Training
last summer and worked with area manufacturers such as
VSS, Hillside Plastics, Hassay-Savage and New England Natu-
rals to pilot online classes for their incumbent workers.
Since the collaborative training programs began, 29
students have graduated from the MSMI program and found
employment across 13 area manufacturers. Eighty-nine stu-
dents have enrolled in Tooling U-SME courses, completing
nearly 4000 classes.
Local average overall wages in the Manufacturing sector
are $47,372, above the region’s average annual salary of
$37,000. The Spring cohort of 14 MSMI graduates were all
placed into employment with salaries ranging from $13 to
$19 per hour to start and averaging $15.50 with opportuni-
ties for continued advancement and training.
Advanced manufacturing is booming in Massachusetts and
the collaborative manufacturing training programs underway
will continue to be expanded to provide a range of options that
meet the needs of students. Green� eld Community College
is one of the 15 Massachusetts Community Colleges funded
by TAACCCT grants to address the training and educational
needs of workers and employers statewide with a focus on
articulated pathways to careers in high-growth STEM sec-
tors (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) as well as
advanced manufacturing and healthcare.
Improving the perception of manufacturing is critical to en-
courage students and potential workers to choose manufac-
turing education and careers. The MassDevelopment Of� ce’s
“AMP It Up!” campaign showcases how advanced manufac-
turing careers can put Massachusetts and its workers on the
path to success through creative, highly skilled, and well-
paying jobs. As our local billboard pro� ling two of our MSMI
graduates states, advanced manufacturing provides “Great
careers and strong futures.”
February 2015 | AdvancedManufacturing.org 135
The Middle Skills Manufacturing Initiative (MSMI) trains entry-levelCNC operators and was created through a collaboration
between educators, employers and government.
Alyce Stiles is the Director of Workforce Development at Green� eld Community in Green� eld, MA.
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