Photo: Emma Friedman/WBZ NewsRadio
UPTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Blackstone Valley Technical High School is expanding its various trade programs beyond its student body with the creation of classes for adults.
The school, which is home to multiple technical programs, is normally filled with teenage students, but once they leave at 2:30 p.m. the space will be used to teach adults later in the evening.
“We’re very excited to offer this, it opens the school up to a whole new subset of students,” said superintendent Anthony Steele.
The program will be made up of 5 major 200-hour courses and is set to take place starting next year in January.
“Rolling out the first semester here it will be electrical, plumbing, HVC, machining and wielding, those are our first five with more to come,” said Steele.
There will also be personal enrichment classes, which vary on topics from first-aid, nutrition, social security benefits and yoga.
The classes are for any adults who are looking to try a new hobby or are looking to advance their careers through hands on training.
“[Student’s will] basically leave the program with three industry recognized credentials and certainly [will be] well on their way to be employed,” said Steele.
Although classes are open to adults of any skill level there are some requirements for students to be able to participate.
“There are some basic criteria, you have to be 18 years old, you have to have a GED or a high school diploma and if you make less than $56,000 it is all free,” said Steele
The creation of the classes has been helped funded after the school was awarded a $1 million state grant over the summer.
With the classes set to be launched soon the superintendent says that the school hopes to have anywhere between 80 to 100 adult students in the first year of the program.
For more information regarding enrollment and class prices you can visit the school’s website by clicking here.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Emma Friedman (@EmmaFriedmanWBZ) reports.