Uxbridge High School - Recipient of Skills Capital Grant 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Baldassarre is proud to announce that Uxbridge High School and its Innovation Pathways have been named a recipient of a Skills Capital Grant in the amount of $75,000. These funds will be used to support the integration of technology and equipment, which will allow UHS students to continue working on industry-recognized credentials in a variety of fields.

“Uxbridge High School has been visited by more than 50 districts from all over the Commonwealth because of the work that our Principal, Mike Rubin is doing.” said Dr. Baldassarre. “It is not just the tools and equipment that our students have to learn to work with - rather it is the expert teachers and innovative leaders at UHS that makes the UHS program so appealing.”

“We created the Skills Capital Grants to ensure young people and adults in every region of the Commonwealth could learn and gain skills on the most up-to-date technologies and equipment so they would be well-prepared for in-demand careers,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are proud of these investments in vocational technical education and their long-term impacts that will positively affect thousands of Massachusetts residents for decades.”

“Our goal with the Skills Capital Grants was to align valuable state resources, build better educational opportunities, and increase access to workforce development training, and we have successfully accomplished those goals,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Since taking office, we expanded access to career training for both high school students and adults, launched the Career Technical Initiative - turning vocational schools into three shifts-a-day training facilities - and expanded STEM education opportunities for young people.”

Since 2015, 538 grants totaling $204 million have been awarded through the Skills Capital Grant program. Uxbridge High School has been awarded five separate Skills Capital Grants.

“We cannot express our gratitude enough for the support of the Baker-Polito Administration and Secretary Peyser,” said UHS Principal Michael Rubin. “Our school has been the beneficiary of much support that has helped us lead a transformation of the world of learning at UHS. We hope for these successes to continue as we transition to a new administration and continue to build for the future.” 

The Skills Capital Grants are awarded by Governor Baker’s Workforce Skills Cabinet, which was created in 2015 to bring together the Secretariats of Education, Labor and Workforce Development, and Housing and Economic Development to align education, economic development, and workforce policies in order to strategize around how to meet employers’ demand for skilled workers in every region of the Commonwealth. The competitive grants are awarded to educational institutions that demonstrate partnerships with local businesses, as well as align curriculum and credentials with industry demand to maximize hiring opportunities in each region of the state.

“These grants are all about expanding access for more students,” said Education Secretary James Peyser. “The funding awarded today for major expansion projects will have a significant impact on the spaces that are available to teach and train people and will enable new programs to open in communities and regions that currently do not have a program, giving more students opportunities that didn’t exist before.”