Community College Articulation Agreements Offer SSVT Students College Credit for High School Work!

Hello SSVT Community,

For several years, vocational students have been allowed to use their high school vocational credits at Massachusetts community colleges to count for college credit as well.  It only makes sense for a vocational high school graduate to skip over the introductory courses that have been mastered in high school, and allow the student to save some money and continue to be challenged in post-secondary studies.

A few years back, the state community colleges made this process much more efficient by establishing statewide articulation agreements for students who graduate from particular vocational programs.

So for instance, an agreement that applies to HVAC-R would cover our HVAC-R students who wish to attend Massasoit and any other community college in MA that offers a HVAC-R program.

In November 2014, the state community colleges agreed to a new slate of articulation agreements in Hospitality Management; Business Technology; Health Assisting; Medical Assisting, Carpentry, HVAC-R and Machine Tool Technology.  

At SSVT these new agreements would apply to students in Allied Health, Carpentry, HVAC and PMT.

When coupled with the previously existing articulation agreements from a few years back, it means SSVT graduates will have an opportunity to access articulated community college credits if they are majoring in:

Allied Health

Automotive

Carpentry

CIT

Culinary

Drafting

HVAC-R 

PMT

I would urge students to evaluate their options with their parents and their guidance counselors.  This might be a worthwhile option and a part of your career plan.  

For more information, take a look at the links below:

Here is the link to the Mass Community College website:  

On this page there is a checklist showing what our students would need to do if they wanted to pursue this option.  

Good luck!

---Mr. Hickey

Metal Fabrication & Welding Juniors Learn About Apprenticeship Opportunities

Hello SSVT Community.

Students in many of our programs are being trained in skills that make them excellent candidates for apprenticeship opportunities after graduation. Apprenticeships are paid working and learning opportunities that can lead to industry credentials and excellent wages and benefits.

Last week, our Metal Fabrication & Welding instructor Mr. Mello took his 11th graders to Local 17 in Dorchester to learn more about its apprenticeship program.  This is a competitive process where the Local accepts about 50 people per year (ages 18-45). Apprentices learn advanced trade skills in the classroom and then go to work in an alternating week schedule.  It is clear that our graduates would be strong candidates for these types of opportunities, but it requires a serious commitment!

Mr. Mello filled me in on the different apprenticeship options and opportunities for our students (and this is not necessarily limited to MFW students).  Here is what Mr. Mello told me:

Ultimately for a student to decide which union they would like to join really depends on what type of work that student enjoys. With the MFW shop, students can also join Local 7 Ironworkers Union, Local 537 Pipefitters union, Local 4 Elevator Union, and also Local 104 Linemen's Union. All of these unions need welders and fabricators. Some of the above unions will also allow the students to learn other trades as well. (For example, Local 104 works with high tension lines (electricity over 500 volts). In situations like this they generally have weld aluminum pipes that carry the current because the copper wire cannot handle the resistance running through it.)

What benefits students from a vocational school versus a traditional high school is that they have already gained 3.5 years of experience. Unions like this because the students tend to catch on quicker and retain more making it easier for them to produce quality workers. 

Vocational students also know what is expected of them on day one: Showing up on time, not calling in sick because you have the sniffles, knowing how to read a ruler, knowing how dangerous machinery is and what to look for on the safety side. All of these little things stick out during the interview/selection process.

Our MFW Junior class sporting Local 17 T-shirts

Students tour the facility

SSVT Graduate Ryan Lofgren (MFW Class of 2011) is in the
Local 17 Apprenticeship Program.  Good luck Ryan!

Apprenticeships are an excellent example of post-high school learning and working that does not involve college enrollment. Not everyone needs to enroll in college, but we all need to get additional training in some form to advance our skills!

I urge students to ask your vocational teachers and guidance counselors about apprenticeship opportunities!

---Mr. Hickey

Culinary Arts Students Appear on Local Cable Show

Hello SSVT Community,

Congratulations and thanks to Marylouise Jepsen and James Andrasy for appearing a couple of weeks ago on Whitman and Hanson Local Cable show "Cross Talk" with host Kevin Tocci.

Marylouise and James discussed their experience with choosing Culinary and how much they have learned over the past few years.  We even touched upon the Culinary Arts Pie Day tradition and how much works goes into offering pies to the community just before Thanksgiving.

Marylouise and James also talked about their interests and school activities and their future plans for college and work.  They are great ambassadors for our school!

Suggestion: If you have trouble sleeping, then be sure to watch the segments where I am talking...

The show can be found at http://ssvotech.blogspot.com/

Thanks again to Marylouise and James and our Culinary teachers and students!

---Mr. Hickey

Carpentry Students Concession Stand Work is Underway

Hello SSVT Community,

What does one day of hard work produce?  Take a look at what the Carpentry Seniors accomplished!

Here are some pictures from Tuesday morning, December 16th.

Here is where they finished up at the end of the day!

What contributed to the Seniors' efficiency was the great prep work that the Carpentry Juniors completed in the previous shops week.  Mr. Burke tells me that the Juniors hand picked the stock and laid out and constructed all of the door and window openings.

Carpentry Juniors William McGarry, Bret Underwood, Adrienne Wood,
Tom Horan, Zach Meehan, and Andrew Onessimo get the concession stand
construction started!

Keep up the great work!

---Mr. Hickey

Culinary Arts Represents SSVT at Rockland Holiday Stroll

Hello SSVT Community,

With great energy and enthusiasm, Culinary Arts students participated in the Rockland Holiday Stroll this year.  The stroll is an annual event held over Thanksgiving weekend where the town shuts down its main street and allows citizens to mingle with holiday music and various booths.

We had many SSVT alumni and students stop by to sample Culinary's hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies.

The students had enough energy to yell well into the evening that we were giving out hot cocoa and cookies with lids on the cups.  Those lids, while seemingly unimportant, were much appreciated by families with young children!

Students Mariah Mazzilli, Britnee Newell, Brooklyn Speed,
Kelly O'Sullivan and Carissa Rountry set up for the event.

The cookies and cocoa lasted until dark!

A very special thank you to Culinary instructor Mrs. Cunniff for overseeing this entire operation from beginning to end.  Mrs. Cunniff and the students have a great working relationship and it was another proud moment for us.  It was also an opportunity to give back to Rockland, a great town that continues to support SSVT and its students.

An additional special thank you to SSVT School Council member Bob Mahoney for helping us arrange our participation in the event!

---Mr. Hickey

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

Update: Electrical Students Complete Outdoor Lighting Project

Hello SSVT Community,

This week some of our Electrical Seniors are working together to install lighting above the entrance to our school restaurant and salon.  The lighting will help to illuminate our school name on the concrete entrance.  You can imagine the amount of safety training that was required for these students to operate the scissor lift.  Mr. Hohenleitner described to me how this project is the perfect challenge for these students, as they have to apply many skills, running wire both behind and in the front of the concrete.

Thank you to the students and teachers in Electrical!

Electrical Seniors Hunter Burt and Kevin McGee get ready to work on the project. 

Senior Jamie Crandall discusses next steps with Mr. Hohenleitner.

Senior Jake Cyrus prepares to get on the scissor lift.

Further preparations are made.

The lift from a distance.

Another quality student job done at SSVT!

SSVT Hosts First Cross Country Meet with New Trail

Hello SSVT Community,

On October 15th, SSVT was proud to host its first Cross Country meet on campus. This is a very detailed event to organize and it could not have been accomplished without the work of Senior Cosmetology Student Nick Bunker.  Nick is also in the midst of completing his Eagle Scout project as part of Troop 38 of Hanover.

For Nick's project he chose to build a Cross Country Trail for the school, and we could not be more grateful for his efforts.  Eagle Scout projects bring communities together and are an invaluable learning experience for the young adults who embark on the project.

Nick worked with Cross Country coach Mr. Joe Madera and also with Drafting Class of 2014 graduate Brendan Shea (who was also a member on the Cross Country team at the time).  Brendan and his Drafting teachers Ms. Jeanne Downey and Mr. Rob Freitas assisted with providing AutoCAD drawings of the trails.

Last school year, I met with Nick and his scoutmaster Mr. David Sawin to discuss Nick's plans before he had to go to Hanover Conservation with the idea.  With careful planning and organizing, Nick set a goal and reached it! He is very appreciative of all the help and support.

To Nick and the volunteers from Troop 38, South Shore Vo-Tech says "thank you!"

Nick Bunker's planning and hard work will benefit our Cross Country team
for years to come

The trail is outlined with branches and rope
for safety and direction for runners.

Engineering Academy Students Participate in National Manufacturing Day

Hello SSVT Community,

On October 3rd, students and teachers from our Engineering Academy program (Electronics, Precision Machine Technology and Drafting) participated in a whirlwind  National Manufacturing Day activities by visiting three local employers:  North Easton Machine Company in North Easton, MA; Accurounds in Avon, and F.H. Peterson in Stoughton. These companies have been staunch supporters of SSVT, providing us with donations that have helped us secure recent Mass Life Sciences grants for our Precision Machine and Electronics programs.

Our local manufacturing employers are consistently asking SSVT for skilled workers to enter the workforce without the need for a four-year college degree.  Many of these manufacturing jobs are the "middle-skills" jobs that have been referenced in so many media articles in the past few years.  Manufacturing has a bright future in Massachusetts and students from many SSVT programs can be a part of the industry's success, leading to higher earnings and clear career ladders over time.

I'd like to give a big thank you to our local employers for their continued support of our engineering programs at SSVT, and for our instructors Mr. Hickey, Mr. Ahola, Mr. Barba, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Downey and Mr. Freitas for giving students access to strong, viable career pathway opportunities.

Below are some photos from when the students visited North Easton Machine Company,

Mr. Hickey

Engineering Academy students attending the field tip

Above: NEM Production Manager Mike Medeiros addresses students on the tour
Below:  Assorted photos from the tour

HVAC Students Install A/C for Electronics Shop

Hello SSVT Community,

Investing in technology requires that we consider how the technology is maintained over time, and a climate-control plan is important.  To help with our technology investment in Electronics shop, Mr. Mulkern's HVAC-R students are installing three condensers on the roof above the shop.

Mr. Burke from our Carpentry shop assisted with reviewing proper OSHA safety protocols, including the proper set-up of staging inside the Electronics shop itself.

The students are making great progress!

Mr. Hickey

Student Tyler Fabian works on one of the condenser units.

Students (L to R) Pat Mahoney, Jacob Gruner, Eric Jarvinen, George Phillips,
Jon Beasley, and Shane Bartholomew discuss flaring the copper pipe.

Student Dan Brady (R) works with Tyler Fabian
on the second condenser unit.

Student Jon Beasley and Mr. Mulkern make a decision
on what parts to use for the project