High School Receives PRIME Funding to Support Curriculum

WESTFIELD, Mass. — Westfield Vocational Technical High School in Westfield, Mass., is being recognized and rewarded for its curriculum and innovative programs by the SME Education Foundation, through its Partnership Response in Manufacturing (PRIME) program.

PRIME has already given six schools funding for 2011-2012, while Westfield Vocational Technical High School and eight other high schools throughout the country are receiving funding for 2013. To-date, the SME Foundation has provided funding of more than $285,000 through PRIME to model high schools to help support technical training.

The PRIME designation comes with a three-year commitment by the SME Education Foundation to provide assistance in creating and fostering strong partnerships with the local manufacturing base to provide job shadows, mentoring and internships. The school will also receive $35,000 for three years to support post-secondary scholarships, equipment upgrades, continuing education for instructors and a STEM-based camp for middle school students.

Technology is changing constantly, and so is the job market. As many schools are turning to advanced technology-based learning styles, others are embracing technological advances in other ways and recognizing the need to train students for jobs that are needed throughout the country.

PRIME was established in 2011 to address the shortage of manufacturing and technical talent in the U.S. At Westfield Vocational Technical High School, the curriculum is focused around Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in order to give students the skills and hands-on experience they need to achieve in a higher education environment as well as the workforce.

“The high schools we’ve selected as PRIME exemplary schools are collaborating, networking and creating partnerships with local manufacturers and community colleges,” said Bart Aslin, CEO of SME Education Foundation, in a statement. “Our intent is to change the outdated perceptions of manufacturing and the careers it offers by reinforcing technical education and providing students with relevant real-world connections to ensure a pipeline of more qualified employees.”

The Manufacturing Technology Department at Westfield Vo-Tech will use a majority of the PRIME funding to upgrade its precision manufacturing equipment and a portion of the cost for training for a new Robotic Training Arm to give students useful skill sets as they journey through their coursework. The school’s state-of-the-art Manufacturing Technology Department has over 80 pieces of equipment and includes a Precision Tool Room Lab, $1 million Advanced Manufacturing Lab and a state-of-the-art Computer Aided Design (CAD) Lab.

“We believe our program is only as good as its graduating students,” said Clement Fucci, chair of the Manufacturing Technology Department and 30-year veteran of the school. “Their success in manufacturing has made our program what it is today.”

The funding was given to the school for not only its approaches to the manufacturing industry and its use of innovative learning strategies and technologies, but its commitment to seeing students succeed after their time at the school.

Students at the school are in the classroom for academics in the first week and in a manufacturing environment for hands-on training in the second week to show and test what they have learned. As students progress in the program they encounter more experience in the manufacturing industry first-hand. The school also provides the students with opportunities to explore career options through career fairs and field trips.