NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Dozens of McCann Technical School students have received Manufacturing Advancement Center Workforce Innovative Collaborative certifications.
Members of the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership and McCann community members attended a ceremony Thursday morning during which 38 students were awarded MACWIC levels one and two certifications.
"Congratulations to our students who have continue to work as hard as they can," Superintendent James Brosnan said. "This is not easy ... this is an incredible accomplishment."
The certification pathway provides testing designed to help manufacturers have a better understanding of the base competency skills of potential employees.
"Manufacturing continues year over year and has never stopped growing in the U.S. in spite of everything that you have heard," Leslie Parady, a manager with MassMEP, said. "We make parts that are smaller and harder to make. They are more intricate so you have to have more education to be able to do it and we want to make sure you have that foundation."
Through two tests, one taken in March and the other in May, McCann students were able to earn this accreditation. Students can begin pursuing Level 1 accreditation as sophomores and Level 2 beginning junior but only after earning Level 1.
Students who received Level 1 certification have proven themselves competent in areas including shop math, blueprint reading, measurements and quality inspection, safety, and work readiness.
Students who receive Level 2 certification have proven to have a basic understanding of Lean Manufacturing Concepts, CNC mill and CNC lathe operation, as well as GD&T and programming. Those students also earn the state Department of Labor Pre-Apprentice Certification.
CNC stands for computer numerical control, or operation of computer automated equipment, and GD&T stands for geometric dimensioning and tolerancing in relation to three-dimensional modeling.
Parady said the manufacturing field is forever changing and that students have to always be open to learning.
"As you go along you are never going to stop learning an you are never going to stop reinventing yourself as you get older," she said. "Manufacturing will change it will be something different 10 years from now but you guys are in an awesome position."
Parady then read a letter from the MassMEP President John Killam.
"Manufacturing is the backbone of the Massachusetts economy and it is important that we maintain the infrastructure and continue the pipeline of young people going into the industry," Killam wrote. "I am excited you have chosen this industry and you now have the opportunity to go out and get good paying jobs and have a career path."
State Rep. John Barrett III also attended the event and congratulated the group.
"You took an advantage to not only get a great education but also the foundation that will lead you to bigger and better things," he said. "This is not an easy school and it certainly is one of the finest in the state ... your parents have to be so proud of you."
A.J. Enchill from state Sen. Adam Hinds' office also attended and congratulated the students on the senator's behalf.
Earning Level 1 certificates: sophomores Connor Cirullo, Alahna David, Kyle DuPont, Connor Griswold, Dylan Hardaker, Damian Kivlehan, Gabrielle Montgomery, Dillan Morse, *Stephen Perreault, *James Pinckney, Gabrielle Schneider and *Grace Towler; juniors Brooke Larabee, Taylor Lavanway, Vanessa LeSage, Nathan Piantoni and *Dalton Tatro; and seniors Destiny Charron, Evan Crews, John Daub, Austin Davine, Drew Romaniak and *Caleb Rondeau.
Earning both Level 1 and 2 certificates: juniors Dana Canales, David DeBlois, *Braedon Delmolino, Andrew Levesque, *Chase O'Dell, Christopher Rose, Devon Ryll-Spencer, *Derek Torres, ^Elijah Vallieres and seniors *Hannah Blake, *^Hope Blake, *Jacob Newton, *^Samuel Parks, *Alexander Pinckney and *Rutger Thurston.
Students scoring at least 85 percent in all five Level 1 areas and four of the Level 2 areas receive challenge coins: *denotes Level 1 Challenge coin recipient; ^denotes Level 2 Challenge Coin recipient.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.
More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.
Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."
Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.
Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
click for more
This spring weekend, there are a variety of events in and around the Berkshires, including Spring Celebrations, music, cleanups, and more.
click for more
More than 300 students from area high schools entered their work in 12th annual Teen Invitational at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. click for more
Backed by a $750,000 federal grant for a planning study, North Adams and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art are looking to undo some of that damage.
click for more
"It wasn't 100 percent consistent but I was afforded the opportunity to get to know other people with different religion, beliefs, backgrounds and culture and to be able to embrace that." click for more