$500,000 grant to enhance Advanced Manufacturing and Design Maker Space Lab
Massachusetts Maritime Academy, a top-ranked public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business that blend academics and experiential learning, has been awarded a $500,000 Skills Capital Grant by the Baker-Polito Administration.
The grant will enhance the Advanced Manufacturing and Design Maker Space that supports the Energy Systems Engineering (ESEN) program. The Maker Space was created through a $250,000 Skills Capital Grant received last year by the Academy. The Maker Space Lab supports the Academy’s workforce development initiatives for underemployed adult learners and creates pathways for the Academy’s K-12 programs aimed to inspire women and students of color to pursue STEM fields, and vocational and apprentice pathway programs.
MMA was one of 70 educational organizations across the Commonwealth to receive a grant from the Skills Capital Grant Program to be used to update equipment and expand student enrollment in programs that provide career education. The competitive grants were awarded to educational institutions that demonstrate partnerships with local businesses, as well as align curriculum and credentials with industry demand to maximize hiring opportunities in each region of the Commonwealth.
The Skills Capital Grant Program was originally launched in 2015 with the goal of replacing outdated equipment and technology, mainly at vocational technical high schools and community colleges. Since then, the program has evolved into a crucial component of local workforce training efforts by expanding the number of young people and adults trained and experienced with the newest technologies used by local employers. Approximately 40,000 students across the Commonwealth have directly benefitted from these grants.
“We’re grateful to the Baker-Polito Administration for this significant grant, the second Skills Capital grant received by the Academy in the last two years,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “Creation of our Maker Space Lab underscores our commitment to prepare students with the skills necessary to succeed in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.”