In addition to these mandated requirements of the Workforce Investment Act our local Board through the Youth Council has several grants that provide the following:
School to Career
The Workforce Investment Board, through a grant from the Department of Education, provides staff and support to local schools to place students in internships with local businesses that develop academic and workplace skills through the use of the Massachusetts Work-Based Learning plan. The Board places over 900 students a year through this initiative.
CONNECTING ACTIVITIES
700-850 students participate in the School to Career Program in annually. Local businesses provide work and learning opportunities and helped students connect academics to work place requirements and measured students gain by using the Massachusetts Work Based Learning Plan.
WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY
One of the highlights of our School to Career initiative is our Women in Technology program. Each year approximately 25 young women from several schools in the region participate in an internship with Tyco Fire & Safety and Simplex/Grinnell Corporation in Westminster. Students focus on real projects such as product development, internal communication and WEB design.
SUMMER EMPLOYMENT
Each year working with local businesses, community based organizations and chambers of commerce we place students in summer jobs with work-based learning plans that connect academic achievement and workplace skills.
More than 250 youth have summer work and learning opportunities each year. The Youth Council offers subsidized summer jobs for eligible youth in Leominster and Fitchburg through the States Youth Works program.
The Workforce Board also convenes a Youth Employment Collaborative that has raised private sector funding for an additional 160 youth employment opportunities. The Montachusett Opportunity Council, Mount Wachusett Community College, LUK, Inc., The Community Reinvestment Act Coalition, the cities of Leominster, Fitchburg and Gardner and many local employers are major contributors to our efforts to provide unsubsidized summer youth employment opportunities.
BANKING
Workers Credit Union opened a branch at Monty Tech, which included four student interns that were paid by Workers Credit Union as employees. Two seniors that graduated became full time employees of the credit union while the juniors were relocated to two WU branches as part time help for the summer. This was a win win situation.
- Sue Allaire
Nashoba Regional High School, Phone: 978-779-2257 – sallaire@nrsd.net - Maurie Bergeron
LUK, Inc. Phone: 978-829-2417 – mbergeron@luk.org - Jon Blodgett
Boys and Girls Club, Phone: 978-534-8358 – jon@bgcncma.org - Kristi Bruwer
Training Resources of America, Inc. – Phone: 978-343-4452 – kbruwer@tra-inc.org - Mary Chase
Training Resources of America, Phone: 978-534-1481 X252 – mchase@ccncm.com - Jennifer Chavez
Employment Links, Phone: 978-343-4452 – jchavez@tra-inc.com - Nicole Conroy
My Turn, Inc. – Phone: 978-345-1092 – nconroy@my-turn.org - Diane Corkum
The Institute of Professional Practice, Inc. – Phone: 978-956-4199 – dcorkum@ippi.org - Lisa Crossman
Sports & Recreation Director – Phone: 978-297-9622 x 15 – lcrossman@theclarkymca.org - Joana Dos Santos
Cleghorn Neighborhood Center, Phone: 978-342-2069 x 208 – joana_d@cleghorncenter.org - Craig Elkins, M.Ed.
Mount Wachusett Community College, Phone: 978-630-9112 – c_elkins@mwcc.mass.edu - Beth English
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission Fitchburg Regional Area Office, Phone: 978-345-1713 X 111 – bethany.english@mrc.state.ma.us - Shana Fitz
MOC, Inc., Phone: 978-343-5706 – sfitz@mocinc.org - Adrian Ford
Three Pyramids, Phone: 978-342-6011 – kuumba88@hotmail.com - Judith Fountain
Department of Developmental Services, Phone: 978-342-2140 X 315 – judith.fountain@state.ma.us - Yolonda Francois
Shriver Job Corps – 978-784-2656 – francois.yolonda@jobcorps.org - Fernando Garcia
Mount Wachusett Community College – 978-630-9821 – fgarcia1@mwcc.mass.edu - Mike Gerry
Workforce Investment Board, Phone: 978-534-1023 – mgncmwib@comcast.net - Christina Gonzalez
Mount Wachusett Community College – 978-534-1481 x 251 – cgonzalez2@mwcc.mass.edu - Jennifer Graves
Department of Youth Services, Phone: 978-345-6381 x 101 – jennifer.a.graves@state.ma.us - Thomas Hall
LUK, Inc., Phone: 978-345-0685 x 217 – TomHall@LUK.org - Gigi Harris
Workforce Investment Board, Phone: 978-534-1023 – ghncmwib@comcast.net - Pam Hatstat
Department of Youth Services, Phone: 978-345-6381 – phatstat@luk.org - Adam Johnson
Department of Youth Services, Phone: 508-439-1703 – Adam.Johnson@state.ma.us - Goran Jovanovic
Department of Developmental Services, Phone: 978-342-2140 X 330 – goran.jovanovic@state.ma.us - Adam Keese
Upward Bound Program, Phone: 978-665-3439 – akeese@fitchburgstate.edu - Cathy Keese
Dept. of Developmental Services, Phone: 978-342-2140 – Catherine.Keese@State.ma.us - Donna Larson
Vocational Consultant ACE Program., Phone: 978-827-6377 – dlarson@awrsd.org - Monique LeBlanc
Gardner Academy for Learning & Technology – Phone: 978-632-1606 x 3 – leblanm@gardnerk12.org - Maria LoBrutto
MyTurn, Inc., Phone: 978-345-1092 – mlobrutto@my-turn.org - Fran Longton
United Way of North Central MA, Phone: 978-345-1577 – fran@uwncm.org - Sharyn McLaughlin
Employment Links, Inc. – Phone: 978-534-1481 – smclaughlin@ccncm.org - Anthony Muhnisky
LUK, Inc. – Phone: 978-829-2428 – amuhnisky@LUK.org - Christian Orobello
House of Peace and Education, Phone: 978-630-4752 – corobello@hopegardner.org - Julie Primeau
Upward Bound Fitchburg State College, Phone: 978-665-3439 – jprimeau@fitchburgstate.edu - Eric Rodriguez
Cleghorn Neighborhood Center, Phone: 978-342-2069 x212 – eric_r@cleghorncenter.org - Tim Sappington
Workforce Investment Board, Phone: 978-0534-1023 – tmncmwib@comcast.net - Rocco Spagnuolo
Boys & Girls club of Fitchburg and Leominster, Phone: 978-534-8358 x18 – rspaghuolo@bgcfl.org - Michael Valia
Heywood Healthcare Hospital, Phone: 978-630-3311 – michael.valila@heywood.org - Lynette Valentine
Salvation Army, Phone: 978-342-3300 – lynette.valentine@use.salvationarmy.org - Richard Vaughn
Fitchburg High School, Phone: 978-630-9248 – vaughnr@fitchburg.k12.ma.us - Michelle Waalkes
Leominster High School, Phone: 978-534-7735, x390 – michelle.waalkes@leominster.mec.edu - Trish Woodliff
LUK, Inc. – Phone: 978-829-2435 – Twoodliff@luk.org