Holyoke MA

businesses: laundromats, small restaurants, bars, artist’s studios,” says Vega. “They’re bringing their cultural assets and their vigor,and their determination and grit to be small business owners, much more than previously. That’s exciting for me to see. And it’s really important when your community is 50% Latino.” BUILDING THE WORKFORCE Another agenda item for the administration is workforce recruitment and training. Since 1996, the MassHire Holyoke Career Center, a private, non- profit corporation has been serving the workforce and economic development needs of individual job seekers, business partners, and community and faith-based organizations; the KIttredge Center for Business and Workforce Development at Holyoke Community College offers dozens of business courses and job training programs; and the city is a partner in the Western Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative, led by Baystate Health, whose mission is to “advance economic opportunity for communities of color.” “We’re also working directly with new companies like Clean Crop, Sublime Systems, and Xenox (a manufacturer of laboratory equipment and precision tools),” says Vega. “We’re identifying students, even at the high school level, who are interested in these fields, and giving them a pathway to go to Holyoke Community College. Springfield Technical Community College is also our partner where students can transfer into their manufacturing program, get a certificate, and get a living-wage job right away. It’s amazing to see what we’ve been able to do at the local level.” INFRASTRUCTURE IS KEY Regarding infrastructure, Vega reports that the city is currently working on several projects utilizing some state and federal grants. “We’re also in line, now, to Photo Credit: Stephanie Pierce 5 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07 HOLYOKE, MA