MetroWest Chamber College Initiative Draws Praise From Governor

Members of the newly formed College Initiative program were invited to meet with Governor Deval Patrick and members of the MetroWest Legislative delegation Monday afternoon at the State House.

More than 10 students,  and their Chamber sponsors and coaches were on hand to celebrate the new initiative, culminating in a photograph on the grand staircase and a tour of the House chamber.

"I congratulate the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce, Framingham State University and participating students on an initiative that unlocks the promise of the next generation of business leaders and highlights the advantages of staying and doing business in Massachusetts," said Patrick. 

The program is designed to engage college students as future business leaders.  In January, the Chamber partnered with Framingham State University to pilot this program. This unique initiative creates a process in which students are sponsored by MetroWest Chamber members to become full-fledged members of the Chamber.

“The Chamber has long been interested in connecting students to the business community in a meaningful way," said said Fran Colantonio, President of Colantonio, Inc. who initiated the program while chair of the chamber board.  “We knew that if we could find a way to make it affordable, students would take advantage of the all the benefits the Chamber offers.”

Chamber members fund two thirds of the cost of membership for the students and Framingham State University provides the remaining membership investment for the student.  In addition, the Chamber has funded scholarships through its Educational Foundation to enable students to more fully participate in and benefit from the many educational and networking opportunities the Chamber provides.

“The College Initiative is a great opportunity to engage college students in the community and give them real-world experience for after graduation,” said Rep. David Linsky, who represents Natick.  “I applaud the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce and Framingham State University for fostering the important relationship between the business world and higher education.”

Students are selected for the program based upon academic standing, entrepreneurial skills and an interest in developing their business acumen and contacts.  

“The long-term goals of this new initiative are to encourage business leaders of tomorrow to recognize the value of Chamber membership for their business and professional careers and to ensure they remain engaged within their respective communities as they continue their professional development,” said Bonnie Biocchi, President and CEO of the MetroWest Chamber.   

“The students are coached by volunteer mentors, to develop strong connections within the business community.  The coaches assist their students in locating jobs within the region, developing the student’s “soft-skills” and providing experiential learning to augment the student’s classroom work,” said Jim Giammarinaro, vice-chair of membership for the Chamber.

 “The MetroWest Chamber of Commerce College Initiative provides students with the resources necessary to succeed in the competitive business environment, and I am pleased that the Chamber of Commerce has worked so hard to provide these experiences to our future business leaders” added Rep. Alice Peisch, who represents Wellesley.

Highlights of the program to date include on-site “Career Development Days” at Commonwealth Creative and Bose Corporation, networking events including Mega-Mixers through the Chambers Alliance with Business Networkers International (BNI), and internships at local companies which have enabled students to utilize their skills developing websites, managing social media and overseeing outreach and branding projects.

"This program is a terrific opportunity for FSU students to complement rigorous academic preparation with real-world business experience in a broad range of MetroWest-based businesses", said Timothy Flanagan, president of Framingham State. "In addition, the program provides students with exposure to the resources and work of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce and other business development relationships that are important to economic growth of the region and the Commonwealth."

The Chamber is thinking of expanding the  program to the other colleges within the Chamber’s footprint including MassBay Community College and Clark University Graduate School of Management.