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.

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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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