Middlesex Awarded Grant Funding to Train Greater Lowell Residents

Middlesex Community College has been identified by the Baker-Polito Administration as a recipient of the Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success Grants for Expanded Training Capacity & Employment Program Performance. From the $1 million offered through grant funding, Middlesex will receive $121,847 to train and place unemployed residents as Computer User Support Technicians in the Greater Lowell-area.

Funding for the grants comes from the Workforce Training Fund Program (WTFP), which was renamed to honor Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly in 2018 for his commitment to providing workers with opportunities that would lead them to financial and workplace security.

“I knew and worked with Sen. Donnelly years ago and I feel honored working on a grant that bears his name,” said Judy Burke, MCC’s Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. “At Middlesex, we strive to provide opportunity to people who would not otherwise have a clear educational or professional path. With this funding, we will be able to offer training participants the relevant knowledge and skills they need to be successful, while also playing our part in helping to strengthen the Mass. economy.”

In a press release by the state, Gov. Charlie Baker spoke of the need for workers to have access to jobs that will lead to a “competitive and sustainable economy” for Massachusetts. In the same release, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito emphasized the impact the pandemic has had on the workforce, as well as the need for relevant training to meet these changing demands.

MCC’s Community Education and Training (CET) department will collaborate with Google and the MassHire Career Center of Lowell to offer the Google IT Certificate program to eligible unemployed residents of Greater Lowell. The course will prepare participants to sit for the CompTIA A+ exam and then enter the workforce with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful Computer User Support Technicians.

Participants will have access to video lectures, quizzes and hands-on labs and widgets as they learn about troubleshooting, customer service, networking, operating systems, system administration and security. The curriculum also offers personal stories from Google employees who bring with them diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Throughout the pandemic, MCC’s CET department has continued to run programs ­– witnessing firsthand how industries and companies are reacting to the pandemic. From this, they have gained a valuable understanding of the training job seekers need in order to get jobs in hiring industries.

“While we have had to adjust the ways in which we provide our training, we have adapted very quickly to the changing needs of industries and our partners,” said Sheila Morin, MCC’s Director of CET. “From the beginning, we reached out to our community partners, listened to what they needed, and responded with support. Although this is a challenging time for many, Middlesex is proud to have the ability to continue offering training opportunities that will get our residents back into the workforce.”

MCC’s CET programs provide academic, professional and personal enrichment for students of all ages and stages in their lives. For more information about programs and noncredit courses, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/careertraining/ or contact Sheila Morin at morins@middlesex.mass.edu or 781-280-3608.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!