Carpentry Students Finish Residential Garage

Hello SSVT Community,

There has been a huge SSVT presence on Center Street in Hanover recently.  On one side of the street our Electrical students are wiring a house as part of a Habitat for Humanity project, and further down the street, our Carpentry students have finished work on a garage.  This is another example of excellent work by our students!

Pictured from L to R: Paul Dawson, Glenn McMorrow, Justin Robertson,
Domenic Varrasso, Josh Holmes Weaver, Ben Davey, Fergus Wilkinson
(Anthony Spicuzza, not pictured, was also part of the crew.)

Another Positive Report on Vocational Technical Education

Hello SSVT Community,

Yesterday the Pioneer Institute released a report entitled

Vocational-Technical Schools and Businesses Strengthening the State’s Economy

This report focuses on the positive impact of vocational technical schools on our students and on the Massachusetts economy, and the need to support our model of educating students. It also focuses on a critical piece of our success, which is our connection to local businesses and employers.

I encourage you to take a look at a sample of the great things going on in our vocational technical and agricultural schools around the state!

*****
I was also at a meeting yesterday where a researcher mentioned a staggering statistic about manufacturing jobs over the next 10 years in Massachusetts.  Even if we do not add a single new manufacturing job between now and 2024, there will be 100,000 new manufacturing jobs open to skilled employees, due to an aging workforce.

Many of our students are poised to fill that gap!

Good luck to everyone participating in Open House on Saturday from 10-1!

---Mr. Hickey

Automotive Students Visit National Aviation Academy

Hello SSVT Community,

Now why would Automotive students visit the National Aviation Academy?  If you are asking that question, it is probably because of a perception that Automotive = Cars and that's it.  That is simply not true!

Automotive instructors Mr. Kessell and Mr. Hennessy brought the students to the NAA, located at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA. They tell me that the NAA offers our students a high quality post-graduate option for additional training.

Automotive Seniors Ryan Getzinger and Paullo Perreira
check out the training area.

Students Heather Sexton and Shawn Dodge try out 
some hands on activities. 

Automotive students Michael Pelrine and David Rousseau
with NAA student.

Students participate in a tour of the facility.

Mr. Kessell and students checking out a plane.
I thought we sent them on a school bus for the field trip :)

Quick side story on career pathways: On October 25th we held a Hall of Fame breakfast, and we inducted five people, including a Class of 1977 graduate named Cliff Rodrigues.  Mr. Rodrigues graduated from Machine Shop.  After completing a successful career in the military, he now serves as a First Officer for Jet Blue.

Here is a picture of Mr. Rodrigues (along with fellow Hall of Fame inductee Mr. Russ DeCoste, who was a teacher at SSVT from 1968 to 2005 and who nominated Mr. Rodrigues to enter the Hall of Fame).

Mr. Rodrigues told me that the aviation industry is a great place for aspiring machinists.  And now we know that this applies to Automotive majors too!

Students...who knows where your career path will lead, but majoring in a vocational technical area offers you a wider career pathway that you might think.  Becoming aware of opportunities can only serve to give you more options to pursue passion and excitement in your work!

---Mr. Hickey