BHCC Degree Program First to Earn Pre-Apprenticeship Designation
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Bunker Hill Community College's Electric Power Utility Technology (EPUT) program is the first associate degree program in Massachusetts to qualify as a pre-apprenticeship by the Commonwealth's Department of Workforce Development and Division of Apprentice Training, President Mary L. Fifield announced today. Students enrolled in the College's program will now receive additional state certification.
For the last nine years, BHCC, NSTAR and Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 369 have jointly sponsored the EPUT Program, which combines classroom work with hands-on-training at NSTAR for students. Apprenticeship programs provide students with a comprehensive knowledge of a selected course of study and ensure safe working conditions, fair wages and proper training.
"Most people don't understand that an apprenticeship is an internship with step increases in pay," said David Wallace, Deputy Director of the Division of Apprentice Training for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Students who complete the pre-apprenticeship program will, after additional work-hours, qualify for an apprenticeship certificate. Since its inception, the program has turned out 59 graduates, 53 of whom are now employees at NSTAR. Thirty-three students are currently enrolled in the BHCC program, which has a graduation rate of 75% and a job placement rate for graduates of 100%.
"This is very good timing. It is an example of all of the partners working in perfect synch," said Les Warren, BHCC's Executive Director of Workforce Development. "Besides additional credentialing for our graduates, this distinction means that the College is taking yet another step in meeting the workforce needs of Boston."
- Photos of the signing ceremony are available. Please contact Les Warren at 617-228-2416 or lwarren@bhcc.mass.edu.
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About Bunker Hill Community College
With more than 50 years of academic excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. The College offers associate degrees and certificates, early college and dual enrollment, community education, corporate training, and industry-specific training programs. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).