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Worcester Business Journal www.wbjournal.com 2014 Economic Forecast 37 "Nichols really brightened my future." Sarah A. Day, MBA '07 Commercial Lending Officer Since earning her MBA from Nichols in 2007, Sarah Day says her career in banking has taken off. Because of the knowledge she gained, she has worked closely with senior management on business planning strategies — responsibilities well beyond her normal duties. Impressed by the level of real-world experience her professors br ought to class, Sarah says she highly recommends the program to busy working professionals who want exceptional quality and convenience. Learn. Lead. Succeed. Graduate and Professional Studies MBA / MSOL / BSBA NICHOLS COLLEGE For information: 800-243-3844 / go.nichols.edu/spring-session-2014 Spring Session begins on January 21, 2014 Register online at go.nichols.edu/spring-session-2014 1889_WBJ_Spring qrtr pg ads_Layout 1 12/9/13 11:32 AM Page 1 905 Hartford Turnpike, Shrewsbury, MA 01545 tel. 508.842.1213 • www.elevationee.com CUSTOM RENTAL GLOBAL GRAPHICS EVENTS PORTABLES "R.H.White's long track record of delivering complex, logistically challenging projects on time and under budget is the reason we go to them for all of our construction and renovation needs." – Peter Hicks, Senior Facility Manager If you have an upcoming construction project, make sure you talk to the experienced team at R.H. White - we'd like to deliver for you! Put our experience to work for you Call Phil Cyr at 508-832-3295 rhwhite.com ...but did you know we build, renovate, and maintain industrial, clean-tech, and commercial buildings throughout New England? You might know us for our work installing natural gas distribution systems… Surprised? You shouldn't be. When Waters Corporation needs any building expansion or renovation at their corporate campus, they turn to R.H.White. Manufacturing & Technology Healy said: a dearth of good workers. Workforce Continues To Gray Manufacturers have been harping for years about the lack of available skilled workers, but now they've largely thrown in the towel, Healy said. Instead, employers have focused on training existing workers in the latest technologies and measuring them against a higher performance standard. "For the first time in a long time, the manufacturers are turning around and looking at their own staffs," Healy said. "They know the skills and talent aren't out there." MassMEP is working with such schools as Quinsigamond College Community and Fitchburg State University to conduct on-site training for manufacturers across the state. Plus, more than 100 manufacturers across Central Massachusetts launched an ini- tiative in early 2012 to help retrain peo- ple interested in manufacturing careers. But still, manufacturers are asking workers to stay past the traditional retirement age and often into their 70s, Healy said. That's not likely to change anytime soon. Cloud Cover Cloud computing con- tinues to be one of the fastest-growing areas in information technology. "We're seeing it become more main- stream," said Nicos Vekiarides, founder and CEO of Natick-based TwinStrata. Sixty percent of companies with more than 1,000 workers have adopted cloud storage, Vekiarides said, while another 26 percent plan to adopt it soon. The technology allows companies to forgo server purchases and upkeep while allowing them full access to software at the workplace, said Aviram Heninzon, vice president of marketing for Westborough-based ViryaNet. The cloud often provides a cost- effective alternative to adding data storage capacity on site, Vekiarides said. The massive growth of unstructured data such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), video and sound has posed big security challenges for many companies, added Amy Lipton, vice president of marketing at Marlborough-based Sepaton. n Manufacturers Getting More From Less; Can They Get Younger? >> Continued From Page 1 4 5