Dr. James W. Wade of Raytheon, keynote speaker; NECC President Lane Glenn, MCC President Carole Cowan; Liz Brunner of Brunner Communications, and Royall Mack Sr, chair of the MCC Board of Trustees.

Over 200 local employers gathered at the Andover Country Club on Friday, October 31 to hear how Middlesex and Northern Essex community colleges are “Building the Talent Pipeline” through internship programs.

The keynote speaker was Dr. James W. Wade, vice president of Mission Assurance for Raytheon Co, and the event was sponsored by Merrimack Valley Partners for Progress, a collaboration between the two community colleges.

In his keynote, Wade talked about the importance of promoting STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) and shared how Raytheon is supporting programs designed to spark interest in STEM careers. “Industry and academia need to work together to meet emerging needs,” said Wade. “Building a competitive workforce is essential to our national security”

Raytheon has been working with Middlesex Community College and Northern Essex Community College for decades to provide noncredit and credit programs for its employees and has recently developed new programs to interest young people in STEM careers.

Based on the company’s sustained investment in workforce development, MVPP presented Dr. Wade with the first annual Leadership in Workforce Development Award.

Following Wade’s keynote, a panel featuring local employers who have been partnering with community colleges was facilitated by Liz Brunner, former NewsCenter5 anchor and current CEO of Brunner Communications. The panel discussion focused on best practices for attracting new employees and developing the skills and talents of current employees.

The panel included Sam Ambra, co-owner, sales & marketing director, Simply Elegant Catering, Groveland; Lynne C. Garone, associate vice president, analytical technology worldwide, E Ink Corporation; Billerica; Nathaniel C. Gravel, director, Information Security Practice, GraVoc Associates, Peabody; and Joseph (Jody) White, III, president, Lowell General Hospital.

Panelists answered a number of questions from Brunner and the audience regarding their experiences with community college interns.

Gravel of GraVoc Associates, an IT consulting firm, said he hired Joseph Cruz of Haverhill, a computer information science major at Northern Essex Community College three months ago, and he’s been very pleased with the results. “Joe started helping with billable work on his first day. He became part of the team from day one.”

Also speaking were Middlesex Community College President Carole Cowan; Northern Essex Community College President Lane Glenn; Royall M. Mack Sr., founder & CEO, Ciara Enterprises, LLC; and Len Wilson, retired regional president of Sovereign Bank.

Lane Glenn pointed out that 94* of community college students will continue to live and work in the Merrimack Valley region after graduation. “Many of them will be working for your companies, and we would love to partner with you and other local employers to be sure they are well-prepared for the workplace.”

MVPP can provide training onsite, on-campus, or online. Topics can range from professional development and management courses for executives and supervisors, to skilled trades training like computer numerical control (CNC) operations, to basic workplace and English as a Second Language skills training.

For more information, contact Judy Burke, dean, Corporate & Community Education & Training, Middlesex Community College, Judy Burke BURKEJ@middlesex.mass.edu, 978 656-3009 or George Moriarty, executive director of workforce development and corporate relations, Northern Essex Community College, gmoriarty@necc.mass.edu, 978 659-1224.

For more information about MVPP, visit www.mvpp123.org.