Southeastern Regional Receives Grants for Machine Tech Programs

Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School has received a $319,824 grant that will be used to make major renovations to its machine technology programs. The school is one of 32 Massachusetts schools that received the Skills Capital Grants aimed at purchasing equipment, modernizing operations and boosting enrollment capacity in career training programs. A total of $9.5 million was awarded to community colleges, high schools, and educational institutions throughout the state.

The school will be purchasing eight new pieces of state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment that is currently used by regional manufacturing plants. The updates will be made to two vocational programs at the school: Precision Machining and Metal Fabrication. Precision Machining Instructor Robert Dennen said the new equipment will be extremely helpful to his students, helping to improve their skills and making them better prepared for the job market. The money will also be used to refurbish the vocational programs’ workshops, due to be completed by next school year.

The district also plans to launch two new post-secondary programs, offering Certificate Degrees in Precision Machining and Advanced Manufacturing/Welding to high school graduates in the community who would like training in the field. The adult-education program will be run by Southeastern Technical Institute, which offers adult education at the same facility. It will be offered in partnership with the Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board, the Metro South Chamber of Commerce, and other industry partners.

Charles Burgess, who works with district’s grants, proposals and partnerships, said the school focused on machine technology after getting feedback from the school’s Machine Technology Advisory Committee. Committee members, including local employers, pointed out that local manufacturing plants were hiring many of its new workers from other regions because local vocational students were not trained on up-to-date equipment. He said the new equipment is the same technology used by local manufacturing plants.

The Workforce Capital Grants are competitive grants awarded to schools that demonstrate partnerships with industry, as well as align curriculum and credentials with businesses’ needs in order to maximize hiring opportunities in each region of the state. Southeastern Vocational Director Leslie Weckesser said she was very happy to see her school meeting industry demand.

Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School is a public 9-12 vocational high school located in South Easton, Massachusetts, serving approximately 1,400 students. The Southeastern District serves students from the city of Brockton and the towns of East Bridgewater, Easton, Foxboro, Mansfield, Norton, Sharon, Stoughton, and West Bridgewater.