STCC, HCC partner with workforce training company to expand tech job opportunities

From left, STCC Assistant Vice President of Workforce Development Gladys Franco, STCC President John B. Cook, Upright CEO Benny Boas, HCC President Christina Royal and HCC Vice President for Business and Community Services Jeffrey Hayden.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College announced a partnership with Upright Education to offer training for skills in technology, including software development and design.

In an announcement at STCC on Tuesday, Sept. 13, college officials said they were excited to partner with Upright, a workforce training company, to create more technical jobs, including in the growing information technology (IT) sector, and skilled labor opportunities for the Western Massachusetts workforce.

The colleges and Upright are offering online educational opportunities for adult learners looking for a new career in technology. No experience is necessary to enroll. 

STCC is an institution dedicated to closing gaps in opportunity and achievement for students who traditionally face disproportionate challenges in the professional sphere. HCC pursues a similar mission by fostering a connected college experience designed to educate students holistically in an open and inclusive atmosphere. Both are also designated Hispanic Serving Institutions dedicated to promoting diversity in public education in Massachusetts. 

Upright President and CEO Benjamin Boas and the presidents of both colleges participated in a formal announcement on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022.

STCC President John B. Cook said, “STCC is excited to partner with Upright Education to offer short-term certificate programs that will help anyone in Western Massachusetts who would like to change their career or develop technical skills to find jobs in high-demand fields, which includes high tech. This new partnership aligns strongly with STCC’s technical mission and helps meet the demand for skilled workers in the region.”

This new partnership aligns strongly with STCC’s technical mission and helps meet the demand for skilled workers in the region John B. Cook, STCC President

HCC President Christina Royal said, "HCC is happy to join in the announcement of our joint partnership with Upright to provide 21st century skills for today's job seeker.  The development of skills in IT will make our students more ready for the jobs in the future. Together Upright, HCC and STCC will help make jobseekers of Western Mass. job ready."

Along with Greenfield Community College, Upright now partners with three different colleges in the Massachusetts area. These partnerships represent Upright’s investment in the growing tech sector in the state, particularly surrounding Springfield, which Boston Business Journals ranked the #1 city in the country for tech job growth in 2021.

Massachusetts has received support and resources for its tech sector from major companies in the tech industry, including an annual donation of $500,000 of cloud computing resources from Microsoft. Upright’s presence also continues to grow in the Northeast more broadly, where its partnerships include multiple schools in New York and Vermont, and nationally, where it has signed 11 total education partnerships to date.

"Adults working hourly jobs want salaried careers where they can work remotely, enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, and reside in a neighborhood that doesn’t break the bank. Western Massachusetts represents a landscape that is ripe for providing these career opportunities in the growing tech economy,” said Benny Boas, CEO, and Founder of Upright Education. “Upright's partnership with Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College provides direct-to-career pathways for in-demand technology jobs through accessible programs, which don't require industry experience or a college degree.”

Upright’s full- and part-time bootcamps and individual courses currently maintain a job placement rate of 92 percent and offer a 30 percent increase in salary for students coming from prior careers.

Expanding services in areas like Springfield supports Upright’s mission of stimulating economic growth in areas where large populations of working adults stand to benefit from innovative educational opportunities and skilled training in burgeoning professional fields like software development and designing visual elements on a website and improving user experience and user interface with the website (UX/UI design). Upright is proud to be taking this vital step toward its stated goals.

If you are interested in learning more about these programs, an informational session hosted by the enrollment team will be taking place via zoom on Thursday, Sept. 22, at noon. Register here.

For more information about STCC's Workforce Development Center, visit stcc.edu/wdc. For more about the fast-track career bootcamps, visit stcc.webflow.io.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu