Machine shop and metal fabrication programs across the country have struggled since the mid-1980s when the rise in global competition resulted in more manufacturing jobs going overseas. Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton, Massachusetts, was able to keep its program up and running due in large part to its…

These materials have been developed by Project CREATE (Cooperative Resources to Enhance Access to Jobs through Technical Education), a demonstration program designed to develop a network, specific activities, and resources that would provide education and support services to a wide audience. A 13-page final report describes the hands-on training…

A survey examined workers' perspectives on skills usage and the effects of technological change in the workplace, specifically in three trades: metalworking machining, automotive repair, and graphic arts/printing. Responses to interview questions asked during site visits to shops in Hampden and Hampshire Counties (Massachusetts) were incorporated…