Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | October 6, 2025 | wbjournal.com As vocational-technical schools rise in popularity, limited space raises concerns over who gets to attend BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Managing Editor N o longer typecast as a back-up plan to tradition- al high schools, vocation- al-technical high schools in Massachusetts have boomed in popularity. ey can provide youth with an ed- ucation to see them either immediately ready to join the workforce in high-de- mand fields, or with skills relating to cutting-edge technology, which give them a leg up while applying to college. Business ranging from farms, to automotive shops, to musical instrument manufacturers in Central Massachu- setts partner with the eight voc-tech schools in the region. Realizing the value of voc-tech training, traditional high schools like Worcester North, Worcester South, and Doherty High offer hands-on training in skilled trades and technical Accessing a vocation fields, too. For Shrews- bury-based Advantage Truck Group, partici- pating in career technical educa- tion programs is not just a way to help build up the next generations of workers, it's a way to meet current needs, said Chris Pent- edemos, ATG vice president of network operations. "Each group of kids has a dedicated mentor that works with these students as they come through," Pentedemos said. "ey're building a relationship and working at a constant pace day in and day out. at allows that technician to potentially work on two different jobs at once, because as the co-op gets more experienced, we can have them doing the hands-on work." Between 2005 and 2020, Mass. voc- tech enrollment rose 24%, according to the Boston-based Pioneer Institute. e rising popularity of voc-tech schools in Central Massachusetts and beyond have created a new problem: More students want to pursue a voc-tech education than available seats, with the Chris Pentedemos, vice president of network operations at Advantage Truck Group Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators estimating up to 11,000 students are waiting for a spot. For those who are able to grab a seat at the voc-tech table, the schools learned can provide lifetime value, even if stu- dents don't end up spending the rest of their working lives in the field they stud- ied, said Heather Courtney, co-operative education/employment coordinator for Worcester Technical High School. "e skillset that you've gained there is going to help you the rest of your life. A lot of the experiences that students have are interacting and working with others, making decisions, problem solv- ing," Courtney said. "e skillset that students get at the vocational school, it's building them to be successful." Figuring out a future ATG, a truck dealership and service company with eight locations in New En- gland, has helped educate students from Central Massachusetts voc-tech programs, including Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School in Charlton and Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Enrollment at voc-tech high schools, 2015-2025 Central Massachusetts voc-tech schools have had net growth of 300 students since 2015, with further potential growth limited by a lack of available seats. Enrollment School 2014-15 2024-25 Worcester Techinical High School, Worcester 1,404 1,442 Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School, Fitchburg 1,435 1,417 Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, Upton 1,185 1,243 Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School, Charlton 1,120 1,188 Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, Marlborough 1,058 1,144 Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School, Franklin 1,017 1,000 Joseph P. Keefe Technical High School, Framingham 693 896 Tantasqua Regional Vocational High School*, Sturbridge 770 632 Total 8,682 8,962 *Tantasqua Regional has both traditional academic and technicial students. Separate enrollment figures are not available Source: Massachusetts Department of Higher Education PHOTO | COURTESY OF ADVANTAGE TRUCK GROUP Students participating in Advantage Truck Group's Diesel Tech program are among thousands in Central Massachusetts receiving career technical education as part of their high school education.

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