Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | January 27, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 15 INNOVATIVE. CREATIVE. CUSTOMIZED. EVENTS. Corporate Functions • Non-profit Fundraisers • Virtual Events • Studio Rentals From state-of-the-art sound and lighting design, online planning tools and personal touches, CMP has you covered. We are New England's most trusted event professionals, providing the area's most innovative entertainment solutions. centralmaproductions.com We visit North Central Mass. a few times per year The North Central Massachusetts region of the state encompasses 800 square miles and 27 towns and cities including: Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Ayer, Barre, Clinton, Devens, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Orange, Pepperell, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Shirely, Sterling, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster, and Winchendon. The region has a diverse economy, including more traditional manufacturing sectors, tourism, and agriculture, all boosted by easy highway access to both Greater Worcester and Greater Boston. When polled online, the plurality of WBJ readers said they are in North Central on a daily basis, but for those who don't live or work in that region, they only go a few times per year. F O C U S Daily, I live and/or work there. 37% Weekly 7% Monthly 15% A few times per year 20% Rarely 17% Never 5% How often are you in North Central Massachusetts? MassReconnect program, allowing stu- dents 25 years and older to attend com- munity college for free. is past fall, the Commonwealth reinforced its efforts, implementing MassEducate, which covers the full cost of tuition and fees for community college students of all ages in addition to eligible students receiving $1,200 for books and supplies and up to $1,200 for additional cost-of-attendance needs. While increased access is an easy net positive, colleges need more supportive services to retain heightened enrollment numbers, Vander Hooven said. "When you have a big increase in students who would not otherwise have attended higher education, we also have to talk about academic readiness," he said. "e last thing that I want to do is create a program that isn't sustainable." For his first time as a college president, Vander Hooven authorized six full-time faculty searches this past fall. All search- es led to hires, and the college has new faculty in its English, chemistry, psychol- ogy, math, and computer information systems departments. Before its enrollment jump, MWCC had implemented college and career readiness programs for its students, but now, it's a matter of amplifying those initiatives to meet increased need. Career-focused efforts Every MWCC undergrad is required to meet with a career counselor prior to attending their first class. e two discuss the curriculum of different fields of study and locally available jobs. "Because our students who come here are from here, and they're planning to stay here," said Vander Hooven. We want "to be absolutely certain that a student has a full understanding of what it is that they're about to embark on." Preparing students for career success should come well before their first class, said Bob LePage, assistant secretary for career education at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education. Oentimes, many historically under- represented students are not put in ac- ademic settings where they are encour- aged to attend college or shown what doors a degree can open, said LePage. In order to address this deficit in school-age children, the state has been ramping up its efforts to increase college and career advice for high schoolers, helping them to prepare for college while learning about the jobs and employers in their communities, he said. "When they get to college, they know 'A) I will see a value to college. B) I see Conitinued on next page

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