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wbjournal.com | Fact Book 2018 | Worcester Business Journal 21 R E G I O N S B l a c k s t o n e V a l l e y BOB A W A R D S B E S T O F B U S I N E S S B E S T O F B U SI N E S S Awards B E S T O F B U S I N E S S 2014 W o r c e s t e r B u sin ess J o u r n a l Awards W o r ce s t e r B us i n e s s J o u r n a l 2015 B E S T O F B U S I N E S S W o r ce s t e r B us i n e s s J o u r n a l Awards W o r ce s t e r B us i n e s s J o u r n a l 2016 B E S T O F B U S I N E S S W o r ce s t e r B us i n e s s J o u r n a l The Perfect Gift for All Your Business Associates A Gift Card to Lock 50 is the perfect gift for that special business associate. Lock 50, located in Worcester's bustling Canal District is one of the city's most celebrated restaurants and a truly unique dining experience. 50 Water Street • Worcester, MA • Lock50.com • (508) 379-3400 Buy a $200 Gift Card and Receive a $25 Free Card LeClaire said companies are buying new equipment as robot-ready, which she sees as the industry's next step, though labor will still be needed to program the equipment. Sharing workforce solutions to these challenges helps everyone, she said, and promotes growth within the Blackstone Valley and the industry itself. Education hub This past September, the opening of the new Blackstone Valley Education Hub was a symbol of the region's past and future: The advanced-manufactur- ing center is within the renovated Linwood Mill in Northbridge. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and other state and local dignitaries attended the rib- bon-cutting for the new hub, a path- way to careers in technical education. Coordinated by the chamber's Center for Business and Enterprise, Quinsigamond Community College, Boston-based Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology and Worcester State University, the hub will help plug the labor gap for manufacturers in the area. Another priority for the Education Hub: Educating hundreds of students who want to be in vocational-techni- cal high schools but aren't, and are needed in the workforce. "We aim to fill the gap for students going directly from high school to voca- tions," said Hebert. "There are over 650 a year on waiting lists. This is a consor- tium so students can work together and be employed after they graduate." Initially funded through the state, a nearly $500,000 grant organized by Hebert and local companies and institu- tions provided hub manufacturing equipment and needed site renovations. The new facility contains classrooms, a 3-D lab and presentation space. With the $21-million Blackstone Heritage Corridor Visitor Center opening in Worcester right after the Education Hub this fall and collabora- tive initiatives, the region is moving forward, becoming an even better place to live and work. Lampin Corp. uses skilled CNC machinists but has struggled to fill open positions. W