Fifth Round of AMP It Up! Matching Grants Now Available to Connect Students With Advanced Manufacturing Careers
September 28, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Meggie Quackenbush, MassDevelopment, 617-330-2011 & 857-208-2777 (cell)
mquackenbush@massdevelopment.com
MassDevelopment is now accepting applications for matching grants to eligible organizations that will create innovative programs to educate students and adults about career options in advanced manufacturing. The grants are the fifth round available through the AMP it up! campaign, which promotes advanced manufacturing as an attractive career path. Through the community-based programs and activities that grant recipients will develop, MassDevelopment will work with these organizations to dispel common misconceptions about manufacturing and bolster the prospective employee base for these quality jobs. To view the grant application, click here.
“Advanced manufacturing in Massachusetts presents an incredible opportunity for our residents to work in an increasingly innovative and nimble sector,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “AMP it up! connects students and adults to a field that Massachusetts leads—high quality, high precision products that are changing the face of manufacturing.”
Eligible applicants must be Massachusetts-based nonprofit organizations that address education and workforce issues. The application deadline is December 1, and grant awards will be made around January 16, 2017. In the first four rounds of grants, MassDevelopment provided nearly $389,000 to 39 partnerships across the Commonwealth. Programs ranged from 3D printing and CAD “tinkershops” to career exploration programs and regional robotics leagues. All partnerships are required to have at least one Massachusetts manufacturer as part of their collaboration.
“The manufacturing field is undergoing a renaissance across Massachusetts, but we still face a large gap between the number of vacant positions and the number of workers qualified to fill them,” said Sen. Eric P. Lesser, Senate Chair of the Manufacturing Caucus. “AMP it up! grants help market the great opportunities available in manufacturing, an industry that is increasingly high-tech and high-paying.”
“The Manufacturing Summit provided a great opportunity for the Legislature's Manufacturing Caucus to hear from this vital sector of our economy,” said State Representative Jeffrey N. Roy. (D -Franklin). “The caucus was formed to address problems faced by the Commonwealth's manufacturing industry in filling technically demanding jobs with people who have the right skills. Lawmakers focus on training for manufacturing employees, encouraging innovation by helping start-ups access resources, and expanding apprenticeship opportunities. At the summit, we received valuable feedback on how these programs have worked and talked about other ways to build upon the renaissance of manufacturing here.”
“Thanks to the work of the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative and the AMP it up! campaign, both through matching grants and the AMP it up! Video Challenge, people across the Commonwealth are seeing innovations and opportunities in the new world of Massachusetts manufacturing,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Marty Jones. “In 2015, AMP it up! grant recipients reached almost 6,500 students and adults, and we look forward to growing that number with this round.”
For more information about the program, visit the AMP it up! website and Twitter feed.
MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2016, MassDevelopment financed or managed 352 projects generating investment of more than $4 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are projected to create about 8,200 jobs and build or rehabilitate about 4,200 residential units.
