The Contoocook Valley, Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative and Mascenic School Districts are pleased to announce that the Region 14 Applied Technology Center (ATC) was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from Stanley Black & Decker.
The $10,000 grant is part of Stanley Black & Decker’s Empower Makers Global Impact Challenge and will benefit ATC’s Construction Trades Program. The grant supports vocational skills training and reskilling programs in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
Funding will be used to expand the Construction Trades Program to include career pathways in the electrical and plumbing fields for the 2022-23 school year.
“This support for the Construction Trades program will have a tangible impact on closing the workforce gap, and we’re grateful to Stanley Black and Decker for their contribution,” Conval Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders said. “Opening career pathways is core to the ATC’s mission and I’m glad that it will benefit from this chance to work toward that goal through this funding.”
According to Stanley Black and Decker, there are 430,000 open construction jobs in the U.S. and 10 million unfilled manufacturing jobs worldwide. This substantial workforce shortage is due to the decline in skilled trade workers. The company estimates that by 2028 there will be three million job openings in skilled trades in the U.S.
“We are so grateful for this funding,” Mascenic Superintendent Chris Martin said. “These industries need skilled employees and we will be providing students with the experience and instruction needed to be successful and find jobs with the help of this grant.”
Through ATC’s Construction Trades Program, students explore several different career paths, while learning foundational skills necessary for those trades. The program currently offers carpentry, masonry and HVAC pathways.
“There will be an even greater demand for skilled trade workers in the next decade, and we are pleased to be doing our part to rebuild the trade workforce,” Jaffrey-Rindge Superintendent Reuben Duncan said.
“Stanley Black & Decker is immensely proud to support the ATC as they work to skill and reskill the next generation of trade professionals,” said Stanley Black & Decker Vice President of Social Impact Diane Cantello. “Our purpose is to support ‘Those Who Make the World,’ and being able to fund educational programs and non-profits that are revitalizing trade careers directly connects to our core mission. Thanks to this year’s Makers Grant Recipients, together we will be one step closer to closing the trade skills gap.”
To learn more about the grant, please visit EmpowerMakers.com.