Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School Superintendent Tom Brown opened the ceremony at the newly renovated Montachusett Vocational Partnership Academy, known as MVP Academy, and welcomed state officials who announced new funding to expand career-technical education.

The lieutenant governor announced the administration is investing “over 8 and a half million in our Career Connected Learning Grants program,” funds officials said are intended to expand access to high-quality career pathways and stronger partnerships with local employers. State education and workforce officials at the event described a package of grants and capital investments they said will increase CTE seats and support new programs such as a plumbing pathway scheduled for 2026.

MVP Academy is a satellite training site established by the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (commonly called Monty Tech) after the district identified a lack of capacity: officials said Monty Tech once had more than 800 applicants for about 350 freshman seats. Superintendent Tom Brown said the academy occupies a vacant warehouse renovated largely by Monty Tech students and instructors and is intended to serve students who remain enrolled in their home sending districts while receiving vocational training at the satellite site.

According to speakers at the event, the model preserves Chapter 70 education funding for students’ home districts while Monty Tech receives Chapter 74 vocational reimbursement for the CTE services it provides. At the ceremony, Monty Tech administrators and superintendents from sending districts — named in remarks as Fitchburg, Gardner and Narragansett Regional — were recognized as partners in launching the program. Officials said the first-year cohorts are taking carpentry and electrical now, with plumbing planned to begin in 2026.

State officials described several related investments and programs: the lieutenant governor referenced more than $8.5 million in Career Connected Learning Grants; a speaker described $13.5 million in skills capital grants announced at a separate STEM-week event; and the supplemental budget passed in June was said to include $100,000,000 for CTE capital grants. At the ceremony, state officials estimated those capital investments will add thousands of CTE seats statewide (speakers said the capital grants aim to add roughly 3,000 seats over three years and that reauthorizations and approvals previously added 2,300 seats through 49 approved CTE programs). Speakers also said the administration recently reached 10,000 registered apprenticeships since taking office.

The event highlighted partnerships beyond school districts: organizers credited local community partners including a Clean Energy Center contribution that officials said will allow MVP Academy to host evening adult workforce training on topics such as solar installation, low-flow plumbing fixtures and electric vehicle charger work. State workforce officials and representatives from MassHire were also present and were cited for supporting employer connections and apprenticeship pathways.

Tom Brown said the site was renovated largely by Monty Tech students and staff and framed MVP Academy as a proof-of-concept for using vacant facilities to expand CTE capacity. “I’m pleased to welcome you all to the Montachusett Vocational Partnership Academy, otherwise known as MVP Academy,” Brown said at the opening.

The lieutenant governor emphasized the administration’s broader priorities: “We’re investing over 8 and a half million in our Career Connected Learning Grants program,” the lieutenant governor said, saying the funds will help districts and workforce partners expand high-quality career pathways. Undersecretary of Labor and Workforce Development Josh Cutler and a DESE representative also spoke, praising the program’s hands-on learning and district partnerships.

Officials encouraged other districts to consider similar satellite partnerships and underscored scheduling changes and inter-district agreements that allowed students to remain enrolled in sending districts while attending MVP Academy. Officials said the model keeps Chapter 70 funding with the students’ home districts and routes Chapter 74 vocational funds to Monty Tech as reimbursement for services provided at the satellite site.

Event participants included Monty Tech administrators, superintendents from the sending districts, state education and workforce officials, local mayors and community partners. Speakers described the gathering as a STEM-week celebration and said the plumbing program is expected to launch next year.

The ceremony concluded with officials thanking educators, students and community partners and inviting the public to return for the plumbing program kickoff once it begins in 2026.