Secretary of Labor Martin Walsh, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Visit College

October 14, 2022

US Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh and US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology today to meet students, experience the hands-on instruction taking place in the classroom labs, and participate in a discussion on advancing equity, creating opportunity, and building the economy with a skilled and diverse workforce. The secretaries were joined by Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Edward Markey, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.

“ I know from my experience in Boston that BFCIT brings opportunities to its students through hands-on learning and skills training that prepares them for many of the good paying jobs available today,” said Secretary Walsh. “With the Biden Administration’s economic blueprint creating new jobs and building pathways to fulfilling careers, the Biden Administration and institutions like BFCIT are working collaboratively to create opportunity and grow our economy with a diverse, skilled workforce.”

The delegation joined students and Professor of Engineering Technology Nikhil Satyala in the robotics lab to see how students are learning the latest in clean manufacturing skills through the college’s Engineering Technology programs in Electronics Technology and Mechatronics Technology.

First-year Electronics Technology student Alimael Rivera Martinez demonstrated a student-created program that directed a robotic arm to carefully arrange a group of blocks into a neat stack. The robotic arm is identical to those used in industry for real-world manufacturing tasks. Rivera Martinez had a background as a mechanic from his service in the US military, but he lacked experience with the high-tech automation systems used in today’s aircraft. He enrolled in the Electronics Technology certificate program to get the retraining needed to start a career repairing jets and other aircraft. After he completes the 8-month certificate, he plans to continue into the college’s Mechatronics Technology associate degree to boost his knowledge and his earning power. “I want to be able to fix every part of the aircraft,” he said.

Kola Omo, a 2022 graduate of the Mechatronics Technology program who is currently employed at Turner Construction, said the support he received at the college helped him succeed as a student and in the workforce. “Unlike other schools that say they care, at [BFCIT} they really mean it.”

The secretaries then joined students and Dr. Michelle Miller-Groves, executive director of the Center for Computing and Interdisciplinary Technology, to see a demonstration of the skills being taught in the college’s Renewable Energy Technology program.

Clinton Ngamne, a senior at Everett High School who is enrolled in BFCIT’s Renewable Energy Technology associate degree program through the early college Advanced Standing Associates Program (ASAP), demonstrated a tabletop wind energy generation system. He said he decided to enroll at BFCIT after attending a summer boot camp designed to expose high school students to Renewable Energy Technology careers. Thanks to the early college program, he will graduate from high school with a full year of college credits and can then complete his associate degree in Renewable Energy Technology with just one more year of study.

“What a great model,” said Secretary Cardona. “Schools that are going to thrive are those that have intentional collaborations with high schools, higher ed, and industry partners. When I leave here, I’m going to be thinking about how we can get models like this school across the country.”

The secretaries then participated in a discussion with President Francis, BFCIT alumnus Jayvonte Odom, an engineering assistant at Turner Construction, and Rahkeem Morris, BFCIT Board vice chair and co-founder of HourWork.

The group discussed how the Biden Administration and institutions like BFCIT can shape workforce development training to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing economy and work together to advance equity and build the Massachusetts and U.S. economies by preparing more students—from high school to two- and four-year colleges—with the career-ready skills that are needed in today’s job market.

“It was a very special day for our students, faculty, and the college community to show Secretary Walsh and Secretary Cardona how we are providing students with skills that will place them on a solid career path and allow them to enter the workforce prepared and confident,” said Dr. Aisha Francis, BFCIT president & CEO. “We appreciate what the Biden Administration and Secretaries Cardona and Walsh are doing to improve education and create jobs in clean tech and renewable energy that are creating opportunities for people from marginalized communities.”

BFCIT has restructured its programs to create opportunities for graduates and meet the workforce needs in the area of renewable energy and clean tech. The affordable, high-quality programs offered through the college’s Center for Energy Efficiency and the Trades expertly train untapped and diverse talent for well-paying roles in sustainability areas where hiring demand far outstrips supply, including: solar and wind energy technology; electric and autonomous vehicle technology; heat pump technology; green building technology; electric power generation technology; and much more.

Programs offered through this Center provide a pathway to economic security for our students and their families and we are proud to be helping to build the diverse pool of talented workers needed for the City of Boston to meet its goal to become carbon-neutral by 2050.

Programs include: Automotive Technology, Construction Management, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Technology, HVAC&R Technology, and Practical Electricity.

The college has partnered with Browning the Green Space, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, Vineyard Wind, and Boston’s Green Ribbon Commission to connect our students with financial and academic resources, internships, and job opportunities.

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE DAY