‘The jobs are out there’ as business, education gather at Tech Foundry to talk training

SPRINGFIELD – Career exploration at the beginning of every school term with ample opportunities for hands-on internships are just two solutions to the state’s work force woes.

“We have a lot of students with difficulty connecting what they are learning to a career,” said Jay Ash, CEO of the Mass Competitive Partnership during a roundtable discussion organized by Tech Foundry on May 23. “Imagine if we had a state where education is matched with employment.”

Tech Foundry, a Springfield-based program that teaches computer and technology skills at no cost to boost the region’s IT talent pool, is celebrating its 10th year. Tricia Canavan, CEO of Tech Foundry organized the event to highlight what’s being done locally to get students ready for jobs and to help employers fill empty slots.

“The jobs are out there,” Ash, who served as state secretary of housing and economic development from 2015 to 2018 under former governor Charlie Baker.

He was joined by Lauren Jones the state’s current secretary for labor and workforce development; Meghan Martinez, Director of Cyber Range Programs, MA Cybertrust; and Jason Pacheco, director of workforce planning, analytics, and compensation at Baystate Health on a panel moderated by Holyoke Community College president George Timmons.

Nonprofit Tech Foundry is celebrating its 10th anniversary year, said Tricia Canavan. In the last year it opened a tech hub in Holyoke with in-person technology support and digital literacy classes to bridge the digital divide that keeps some poor from accessing programs and education. It’s also picked up the pace on its job-focused programs and grew classes to 50 students a semester, Canavan said.

Jones praised Tech Foundry for its efforts.

She outlined the state’s training and apprenticeship programs, including one that Baystate uses to bring entry-level staffers into technical careers through an apprenticeship with classroom and hands-on training.

In December, Holyoke Community College and its partners received a state grant worth nearly $1.46 million to create a CNA – certified nursing assistant – to LPN – licensed practice nurse – training program to help area hospitals including Baysate to meet their workforce needs.

Pacheco said Baystate is able to support those programs with time and money for only one reason:

“They answer a basic business need,” he said.

Jones also met Thursday with Bay Path University President Sandra J. Doran.

After the lunchtime forum downtown, Jones, Ash and others strolled up Main Street to Springfield Union Station and toured the still-under construction Richard E. Neal Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno was along for that tour.

The cybersecurity center will offer training in detecting and combating cyber threats like data theft and denial-of-service attacks. It will be open of for the fall semester to students from area colleges.