Worcester Business Journal

Biostage 14 A Holliston biotechnology startup has shed its old name and is looking to capitalize on $1.5 billion in potential revenue. WBJ >> To Subscribe Central Massachusetts' Source for Business News August 1, 2016 Volume 27 Number 16 www.wbjournal.com $2.00 The founders of a Worcester startup give an oral history on the early years of their firm. Focus on Small Business & Entrepreneurs 12 Turning convicts into colleagues As the federal government reaches for ways to cut down on the prison population, local workforce officials see training convicts as a way to reduce the skills gap Baker, legislature keep focus on economic development projects BY LAURA FINALDI Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer Mount Wachusett Community College in July announced it was one of 67 colleges nationwide selected by the U.S. Department of Education pilot program to provide education and job training for inmates. The pilot is part of a push from the Obama Administration to spearhead criminal justice reform by preparing ex-offenders to reenter the community with skills and resources they need to obtain long-term employment. A s workforce development continues to be a press- ing issue for Central Massachusetts employers, greater efforts are being made to tap into a por- tion of the population numbering more than 10,000 to help fill that need – the incarcerated. A s the dust settles from the 2016 state legislative session, Central Massachusetts appears poised to benefit again from a growing and effi- cient initiative to make the region more attractive to businesses – the MassWorks Infrastructure Program. "The MassWorks program is among the most comprehensive and stream- lined funding grants the state offers, and we are proud of work we have accom- BY JOHN MCCINTYRE Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer >> Continued on Page 10 >> Continued on Page 10 The MassWorks Infrastructure Program gave Worcester $2 million to upgrade Quinsigamond Avenue in order to improve the roadway from Route 146 to downtown. (From left) Mike Harris, Korey Garrigan and Antwan Stevenson – inmates at the Worcester County Jail & House of Correction in West Boylston – participate in classes taught by instructors from Mount Wachusett Community College. P H O T O / E D D C O T E P H O T O / E D D C O T E Q&A with Yael Schwartz, entrepreneur-in- residence at Worcester Polytechnic Institute Shop Talk 8

• Cover