Tom Sannicandro, as Chair of the Committee on Higher Education, helped write and pass reforms that will connect unemployed workers with training programs for the needs of local economies.

Under reforms passed this year, community colleges will better align their curriculum with regional economic needs. For example, MassBay, in partnership with Toyota, has a program that awards certifications for automotive technology while giving students a chance to work at local dealerships as mechanics. Other colleges offer career-specific programs in biotechnology, information technology, nursing, and more. Identifying these kinds of opportunities and developing curriculum to fill regional job needs will become a bigger part of the community colleges’ mission following the reforms Tom helped write and pass.

Community college reform will allow people who are out of work opportunities to be retrained, reenter the workforce, and fill jobs that are available now. It will also allow businesses to fill many of the middle skills jobs that are currently going unfilled.

Tom believes the community colleges are uniquely positioned to help develop Massachusetts’ economy regionally and he will continue to seek ways to leverage the state’s community colleges to best serve their students and regional economic needs.

Previous entries:

Oct. 27, Day 6: Ashland State Park reopening

Oct. 26, Day 5: Tom has helped deliver state resources for local projects

Oct. 25, Day 4: Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment

Oct. 24, Day 3: Tom was born and raised in Framingham, and has lived in Ashland 26 years

Oct. 23, Day 2: Tom Sannicandro supports local schools

Oct. 22, Day 1: Let's pass the Updated Bottle Bill