In the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts there are more than 100 precision machine shops that produce parts and equipment for a variety of manufacturing sectors.
Some of the larger shops have more than a thousand employees, while some small places have as few as five workers.
Developing a skilled workforce to fill the jobs in precision manufacturing in western Massachusetts has been a challenge for more than a decade.
One training program, the Manufacturing Skills Initiative, continues to operate in Franklin County.
WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Andrew Baker, Special Projects Manager for the Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board.
