Worcester Business Journal

16 Worcester Business Journal | November 4, 2019 | wbjournal.com R E G I O N S B L A C K S T O N E V A L L E Y Blackstone Valley: At a glance Largest employer Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Grafton 550 local employees Largest chamber of commerce Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce 500 members Biggest bank UniBank for Savings, Northbridge $1,619,317,000 in deposits Biggest college Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Grafton 453 full-time students, fall 2019 Largest meeting venue Southwick's Zoo, Mendon Accomodates up to 1,000 people in banquet-style Median age 42.44 Sources: Worcester Business Journal surveys of area businesses, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) as of June 30, 2019, Mass. Department of Revenue, U.S. Census Bureau 2013-2017 American Community Survey Building future leaders BY LIVIA GERSHON Special to the Worcester Business Journal The Blackstone Valley Education Foundation forms a connection between schools and businesses A s a leader in the local business community, Chris Foley, the president of UniBank in Whitinsville is a supporter of the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation. But he has a more personal reason to be a fan. When his son was younger, he took part in an annual conference the education foundation holds for 7th and 8th graders in partnership with Tus University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Graon. "It really exposed him to the different areas of STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] at an early age, which has been invaluable," Foley said. e Blackstone Valley Education Foundation, which spun off from the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1999, connects schools and businesses around the area. It helps students learn about potential career paths, connects companies with future workers, and shows educators ways to incorporate the demands of the modern economy into their lessons. "A lot of the traditional schools are having to change their mindset and think about the way the world is changing," said Erika Baum, associate director of the foundation. "Some of the jobs that students today will end up taking on don't even exist today." Educating students e organization provides a range of programming each year. Its Youth Leadership Academy connects high school freshmen and sophomores from around the region, taking them to different locations twice a month where they can learn about a local business, historical location, or cultural institution and do activities to build skills like financial literacy or leadership. During Manufacturing Month in October, the foundation helps educate students about work in production. Baum said some students think of manufacturing as a dirty or unskilled job, but seeing what happens at local facilities can help them see how high- tech the work really is today. e foundation organizes professional development sessions for local teachers. Foley, who is a BVEF board member and past president, said he's helped with those professional development activities, bringing teachers on-site at the bank. "We'll expose them to the various areas of the bank," he said, noting most people who think about careers in banking picture tellers but may not think about fields like marketing, IT, human resources, or accounting, which are also crucial functions at UniBank. "In addition to that, we work with the students," Foley said. "Sometimes they'll ask us to participate in a financial literacy series, or we'll participate in job skills workshops." Baum said the education foundation's biggest annual event is its Business & Education Forum, which brings together educators and workers, from CEOs to hourly workers, from a range of industries. Participants sit at round tables and discuss topics related to workforce development in the region. "We then take that information, and Blackstone Valley Education Foundation Mission: To build connections between local schools and businesses, enrich education, and develop the next generation of workers, employees and leaders. Executive director: Jason Matthews Founded: 1999 Educational partners: 16 member and affiliate member school districts in and around the Blackstone Valley The Blackstone Valley Education Foundation helped students attend a workshop at Sutton manufacturer Unified Packaging Group. PHOTOS/BLACKSTONE VALLEY EDUCATION FOUNDATION

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