The Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District has received an $880,000 Career Technical Initiative (CTI) grant to train 84 adults for careers in high-demand skilled trades through the Blackstone Valley Technical Institute (BVTi).

The Round 11 grant, announced Aug. 10 by Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones during an event at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, is part of $15.5 million in CTI grants awarded to 24 organizations across the Commonwealth.

The CTI program enables Massachusetts vocational technical high schools to use classrooms, labs, and equipment in the evenings and on weekends to provide workforce training outside the traditional school day. Through partnerships with employers, workforce boards, community organizations, and educational institutions, CTI helps prepare participants for in-demand occupations.

The Round 11 funding will support training in carpentry, automotive collision, automotive technology, culinary arts, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and advanced manufacturing. The programs are designed to address regional workforce needs and provide adult learners with opportunities to gain industry-recognized skills and credentials.

Through BVTi, the District will continue to expand its adult education programs. Fall courses include advanced manufacturing, electrical, HVAC, and welding. Spring courses will include auto body, automotive technology, construction, culinary arts, and plumbing.

“We’re proud to expand access to career technical education at BVT,” said BVT Superintendent-Director Anthony E. Steele II. “This grant will allow BVTi to deliver high-quality career technical education to adults seeking to upskill or retrain, strengthen the regional workforce by preparing skilled employees for in-demand careers, and generate revenue that supports our students and programs.”

This grant is funded by the Career Technical Initiative through State Appropriations and funds appropriated through the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. This grant initiative is administered by Commonwealth Corporation on behalf of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the Workforce Skills Cabinet.

For more information about adult education at BVT, visit the Blackstone Valley Technical Institute at www.valleytech.k12.ma.us/bvti or www.bvtadulted.org.

About the Commonwealth Corporation

The Commonwealth Corporation, a quasi-public agency of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, administers the Career Technical Initiative (CTI) grant program. In partnership with the Executive Office of Education, CTI transforms career and technical education schools across the state to become “Career Technical Institutes” that run three shifts a day for skill-building programs in the trades, construction, and manufacturing career pathways. For more information, visit www.commcorp.org.

About Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School (BVT):

Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School serves the towns of Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton, and Uxbridge. Located in the heart of the Blackstone Valley, BVT creates a positive learning community that prepares students for personal and professional success in an internationally competitive society through a fusion of rigorous vocational, technical, and academic skills.