Content submitted by Nashoba Tech. Email news to news@westfordcat.org.
Just about a week after Nashoba Valley Technical High School received a $101,476 grant from the Massachusetts Life Science Center, it received a second grant — this one from the Workforce Skills Capital Grant program for $495,000.
Like the first grant, which is going toward the creation of an Automated Bio Lab in the school’s Engineering Academy, the latest funding will be used to implement an automation component to the academy, which combines the Engineering, Robotics, and Biotechnology programs in one wing.
“We will have the opportunity from now until June to transform our Engineering Academy with state-of-the-art equipment,” Pigeon said. “We have a continual goal to prepare our students for their future careers.
“Equipment purchased through the grants will introduce students to the emerging world of high-precision robotics for faster and more cost-effective DNA and pharmacological testing,” she added. “This is a growing field which will allow scientists and doctors to customize treatment while opening job markets for trained engineers and technicians in both the robotics and biotechnology fields.”
The superintendent went on to praise the efforts of Director of Curriculum Gabriella White, who wrote the grant proposals, as well as the Engineering Academy staff and Nashoba Tech’s industry and postsecondary partners.
“I am so proud to be a part of such an amazing team of caring and creative individuals and overwhelmed with how wonderful this will be for our students,” she concluded.
White said the grants are especially important now because Nashoba Tech is preparing students “to use automation in this growing field and open new and exciting career pathways for students in our Engineering, Robotics, and Biotechnology programs.”
“The Engineering Academy is keeping pace with the ever-changing, technology-focused workplace of tomorrow,” White added. “Automation is becoming increasingly important in a number of manufacturing industries, including biotechnology.”
