Thursday, Oct. 17, 2002 

 

MOUNT WACHUSETT COMMUNITY COLLEGE HOSTS ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS TO TAP SUGGESTIONS FROM BUSINESS COMMUNITY

 

(DEVENS)—About 100 advisory board members, faculty and staff attended an appreciation dinner for members Mount Wachusett Community College advisory boards, Wed., Oct. 16, at the Shriver Job Corps Center in Devens, Massachusetts. The event was designed to both show appreciation for and gather advice from members. “With over 45 academic programs, we are constantly taking the pulse of business and community leaders to learn ways to improve our programs,” said Mount Wachusett Community College President Daniel M. Asquino.

Seven members of MWCC faculty are currently teaching the 272 residential and 28 commuter students at Shriver Job Corps. Job Corps. is the largest residential employment and educational training program for economically disadvantaged youth ages 16 to 24. It is federally funded and administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. It has trained and educated over 1.9 million since 1964.

MWCC Vice President Edward Terceiro outlined plans for the Devens Technology Center, which will be operational in February. Manufacturing equipment from the college’s Gardner campus will be moved to the Devens site. “This center will allow businesses to come in and test equipment without the great expense of stopping production,” he explained.

Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development Dean Jacqueline Belrose described a variety of credit and non-credit classes offered at the Leominster, Fitchburg, Devens and Athol campuses. In addition, the college frequently partners with local businesses to provide training and workforce development. “For example,” she said, “we were able to offer a two-year electronics program taught on-site at Tyco.”

The evening featured a video history of the college presented by Professor Vincent Ialenti of the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Department. Vice President of Enterprise Bank and Trust Company and MWCC Trustee Raymond LaFond and MWCC Foundation, Inc. Executive Director Darlene Morrilly also addressed advisory board members.