By: Timothy P. Murray, President & CEO
Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce

Each day at the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce we simultaneously focus on our Recruit, Retain, and Incubate agenda. Inherent in our efforts to recruit companies and investors to Central Mass, retain and grow jobs with existing companies, or incubate new businesses is the need for a well trained and motivated workforce. Accordingly, we established a Director of Education and Workforce Initiatives nearly ten years ago to build partnerships with our higher ed institutions, vocational technical schools, and area workforce training organizations. Recently, in our 2023 budget, the Chamber Board approved the establishment of a Manager of Workforce Programs with assistance from MassHire of Central Mass, that will work directly with Worcester Technical High School and other Chamber 74 vocational technical and Innovation Pathways Programs (IPP) to build a robust inventory of companies and organizations that will employ co-op students who are receiving training at school in specific employment areas. At Worcester Technical High School (WTHS) there are currently 23 vocational technical programs that students are studying that range from automotive and carpentry to finance and marketing or biotechnology, robotics to veterinary and welding, etc. To learn more, go to the WTHS website at techhigh.us. Beyond Worcester Technical High School the Worcester Public Schools across the other high schools offers students access to over 20 different Chamber 74 and IPP programs.  

A key and unique component of 74 vocational technical programs is the ability for students in their senior year and in some cases their junior year to work in their field of study on a full week basis every other week. In many instances these students are full-time paid employees getting hands-on experience and executing on what they have been taught in the classroom. These students gain real world training as well as durable skills of what the world of work will expect of them in the future. 

Currently at WTHS approximately 208 seniors are out on co-op out of a total of 370 seniors. Our goal with the new Manager of Workforce Programs and working with the new leadership at WTHS and WPS is to make sure that every student has a co-op placement and then expand that to all WPS Chapter 74 and IPP students. Over the course of the remaining year, we will be reaching out to our member businesses to inform them of the specifics and benefits of employing WPS co-op students. It is a pathway to building a young, motivated, and diverse workforce that are knowledgeable about the field they are working in. 

Additionally, we will be working with WPS personnel to make sure they are aware of the breadth of employment and workforce training programs that are available for all 25,000 Worcester Public School students that are work eligible. We are really excited about this new position and partnership and the doors it will open for our young people and employers. 

To learn more feel free to email Dave Garvin at DGarvin@worcesterchamber.org or call him at (508)753-2924