Bunker Hill Community College

BHCC in the News

2006-09-08 - BHCC Receives City of Boston Grant

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino awarded a $100,000 grant to BHCC’s as part of the City of Boston’s new Math and Science Advancement: Pathways to College and Employment initiative. The grant will fund the creation of the Math and Science Power Line program, which will help prepare students to participate in the College’s Electric Power Utility Technology (EPUT) program.

EPUT, a collaboration among BHCC, NSTAR and the Utility Workers Union of America, trains students to fill jobs as skilled overhead line workers. Students who successfully complete the program receive an associate degree from the College and a guaranteed job offer from NSTAR. One of only a few such initiatives in the country, EPUT is helping to give participants the necessary skills and knowledge to fill jobs in an industry where the demand for skilled workers has increased steadily as the current workforce retires.

However, a major barrier for interested students applying to the EPUT program is the requirement that they place into college–level math and English. Since the program began in 2004, only 10 percent of the more than 600 applicants for EPUT have placed into college–level courses. The new Math and Science Power Line Program will enroll 40 participants in courses and review sessions for math, science and English. The participants will also receive a comprehensive and individualized set of academic and personal support services to help them attain college–level skills, all in an effort to prepare them for BHCC’s EPUT program.

“These high–paying jobs with NSTAR require a solid knowledge of math and science, and the new grant funding will make it easier for us to help more people to learn these skills and advance in their careers,” said Les Warren, Executive Director of Workforce Development. “Our goals behind creating the Math and Science Power Line program closely mirror the intent behind the city’s Math and Science Advancement initiative. There are opportunities for good jobs out there, but the requirements for those jobs may be just out of reach for some. EPUT is a very rigorous and challenging program to begin with, but this grant will make success and new careers much easier for our students. We are grateful to Mayor Menino and the City of Boston for helping us make this program a reality.”

Boston’s new Math and Science Advancement: Pathways to College and Employment, created by the city’s Office of Jobs and Community Services (JCS), is intended to provide adult residents of Boston with college–level skills in math and science that will allow them to compete for high-demand jobs or enroll in post–secondary education programs that require these skills. The grant is funded by linkage funds maintained by the Boston Neighborhood Jobs Trust.

“Boston’s economy – now and in the future – is based on having the most productive and highly skilled workers for the city’s critical industries. This new initiative is designed to reinforce the educational basics for individuals who may be under prepared to enter today’s global economy,” said Menino in a statement announcing the grants.

“This effort will help adults who need to acquire or brush up on their proficiency move into higher level education and training,” said Menino. “Whether you aspire to wear a lab coat or a hard hat, this training will help you get your dream job.”

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