Gov. Baker Cuts Ribbon For Blackstone Valley EdHub Opening

From The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce: The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that on Tuesday, September 18th at 3:30 PM, Governor Charlie Baker will lead the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the Blackstone Valley Educational Hub (BV Ed Hub) at the BV Chamber of Commerce. Located at 670 Linwood Avenue in Whitinsville, the BV Ed Hub was established to meet the educational and training needs of the Blackstone Valley region.

The BV Ed Hub Initiative was principally funded through Governor Baker’s ambitious Skills Capital Grant Program. In 2017, the Chamber, under the guidance of CEO Jeannie Hebert, in partnership with and support from multiple local secondary, post-secondary institutions and business received close to $500,000 in grant money. The funds were allocated for the purchase and installation of equipment and related improvements and renovations of the site in support of vocational and technical training. The BV Ed Hub will upgrade and expand regional career technical education access and training for high quality career pathway programs that are aligned to regional economic and workforce development priorities for in-demand industries.

The intention of the BV EdHub is multi-faceted. Initially the Chamber’s goal was to provide a learning space to students in our region who are wait-listed at our exceptional regional vocational technical high school while at the same time becoming a centralized state of the art “Fab Lab” for specialized advanced manufacturing training operations. Consisting of 3 classrooms, the BV EdHub hosts a skill learning and performance center containing many essential manufacturing tools and machines, a high stakes computer research and design lab that focuses upon 3D design and printing, and a “theory” room for instruction.

Working closely with the Central Workforce Investment Board, CEO Jeannie Hebert and the BVCC Advisory Committee chose to focus upon Advanced Manufacturing as its start-up vocation. According to the Central MA Workforce Investment Board’s Regional Blueprint, manufacturing is the second highest industry, based on number of employees, those employed and overall wages in Central MA.

The advancement of technologies in the career pathway in combination with a high percentage of a workforce that is due to retire has created a great demand for skilled workers to have a definitive advanced set of skills and knowledge to meet manufacturing employment demands in our area, if not statewide.

The BV Ed Hub will be available to manufacturing businesses as a potential training center to help employers bring their current workforce up to speed on the newest manufacturing trends and equipment. In close association with Quinsigamond CC (QCC), Worcester State University and Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, the BV Ed Hub hopes to gain articulation agreements that become a pathway for students to enroll in their respective post-secondary programs of study.

The opening of the BV EdHub could not be realized without the exceptional contributions from Blackstone Valley Tech, QCC, Mark Lyons at Advanced Educational Technologies, LLC, BV Legislators, community and public school support and multiple volunteers who have jumped in to realize this unique cost-effective regional offering.

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