>>> WE HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR
SKILLED WORKERS IN PRECISION MANUFACTURING, AND THAT THERE
ARE MORE JOBS THAN PEOPLE TO FILL THEM.
SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAS THE ONLY ASSOCIATE
DEGREE PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN THE REGION IN OPTICS AND
PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY.
PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY IS USED IN EVERYTHING FROM THE SCANNER AT
THE SUPERMARKET TO LASER SURGERY.
I SAT DOWN WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT AND A STUDENT, TO
LEARN MORE .
>> INCLUDES LENSES, MIRRORS, TELESCOPES, SPACE SATELLITES.
LASERS ARE USED -- THEY ARE ALMOST UBIQUITOUS.
CONSUMER PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.
YOUR iPHONE DOESN'T WORK WITHOUT LASERS.
I'VE BEEN HERE 32 YEARS AND I'VE NEVER HAD A CLASS WHERE I DIDN'T
PLACE 100% OF MY STUDENTS.
AND USUALLY IT'S WITH MULTIPLE JOB OFFERS.
MOST OF THE COMPANIES WILL COME IN AND HIRE STUDENTS BEFORE THEY
GRADUATE IN ORDER TO ENSURE THEMSELVES A WARM BODY WHEN THEY
DO.
SO THE JOB MARKET IS FANTASTIC.
THE SALARIES ARE, RIGHT NOW, IS PROBABLY BETWEEN 40 AND $60,000
A YEAR WITH ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE.
>> BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY JOB OPENINGS?
>> THERE ARE SO MANY JOB OPENINGS IN MASSACHUSETTS.
MASSACHUSETTS HAS, I BELIEVE, THE HIGHEST PER CAPITA NUMBER OF
OPTICS AND PHOTONICS COMPANIES.
USUALLY SPIN OFFS OF MIT AND AMERICAN OPTICAL CORPORATION
THAT CREATE THE FIBEROPTICS.
ALSO IN WESTERN MASS AND NORTHERN CONNECTICUT IS A HOTBED
AS WELL.
A LOT OF AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS OF LASERS.
THERE ARE LOTS OF JOBS TO BE HAD.
WE ONLY GRADUATE A HANDFUL OF STUDENTS EVERY YEAR WHICH BODES
WELL FOR THE STUDENTS.
HOWEVER, WE COULD PLACE 5-10 TIMES THE NUMBER OF GRADUATES
EVERY YEAR.
AND OUR BIGGEST ISSUE IS GETTING THE WORD OUT THAT WE EXIST.
AND THAT'S A REALLY COOL FIELD.
YOU THINK ABOUT LASER TECHNOLOGY AND SAY IT TO THE AVERAGE
PERSON, OH, MY GOD THERE'S MATH AND CALCULUS.
NO.
IT'S VERY HANDS ON.
WHATEVER MATH STUDENTS NEED, WE TEACH IT TO THEM.
IT'S VERY SPECIFIC MATH.
SO STUDENTS GET TAKEN FROM GROUND ZERO ALL THE WAY UP TO
SENIOR LEVEL TECHNICIANS IN TWO YEARS.
>> HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED OR BECOME INTERESTED IN THIS?
>> I WAS ON A LOCAL ROBOTICS TEAM IN HIGH SCHOOL.
JUST BEING THAT KIND OF HANDS-ON PERSON, YOU LEARN BUN THING GOES
INTO ANOTHER.
YOU DEAL A LOT WITH SENSORY EQUIPMENT AND DATA.
AND ONE DAY I SAW PROFESSOR MESA IN THE PAPER.
AND I WAS LIKE LASERS, I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM.
I DID A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH AND OVERALL, IT'S BECOME A REALLY
GOOD EXPERIENCE.
I'VE LEARNED A WHOLE LOT.
LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S REALLY ENGAGING AND REALLY HANDS ON.
I ENJOY IT.
IT'S JUST BECOMES ANOTHER THING TO CHECK OFF TO KNOW.
>> RIGHT.
HE WAS MENTIONING, YOU KNOW, AS A PARENT THIS SOUNDS ENTICING.
40 TO 60,000 WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THE ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE
PROGRAM.
LET'S SAY YOU ARE 18 AND COME OUT WHEN YOU ARE 20.
THAT'S A PRETTY ATTRACTIVE OFFER.
>> CORRECT.
>> IS IT NOT?
>> IT IS.
KIND OF WHAT STEERED ME TOWARDS IT.
ALSO KNOWING THAT I'M ALMOST NOT GUARANTEED BUT HAVE A VERY HIGH
CHANCE OF GETTING A JOB MEANS A LOT ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY AND
AGE.
NORMAL FIELDS LIKE MCALLEN GIN EARRING, THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN THAT KIND OF FIELD NOW.
SO THEY ARE LOOK FOR LESS OF MCALLEN GIN EARS AND MORE FOR
TECHNICIANS.
THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE MONEY'S GOING.
>> WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM COMPANIES AS FAR AS THEIR NEEDS
TO FIND SKILLED WORKERS?
>> THEY ARE DESPERATE.
MORE OPENINGS THAN THERE ARE PEOPLE TO FILL.
I LITTLE -- LITERALLY GETS CALLS EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR PEOPLE WITH
THE SPECIFIC SKILL SET.
COMPANIES WILL CALL ME.
IF I HAVE TO REACH OUT TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE GRADUATED IN THE
PAST, THEY STAY IN TOUCH WITH ME.
I HAVE A HUGE NETWORK OF PAST GRADUATES AND THEY USUALLY KEEP
IN TOUCH WITH ME ABOUT WHAT THEIR CAREER GOALS ARE.
SO IF I SEE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM, I WILL REACH OUT TO THEM.
KIND OF PLAYING EMPLOYMENT AGENT ALSO.
>> HOW DO YOU TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT MORE?
DO YOU WORK WITH HIGH SCHOOLS, WITH THE VOCATIONAL HIGH
SCHOOLS?
THE OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS AS WELL TO INFORM STUDENTS THAT THERE
ARE THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
>> THAT'S ALWAYS AN ON-GOING CHALLENGE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DO OVER THE SUMMER IS A LOT OF TEACHER
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
I'VE OFFERED DOZENS OF WORKSHOPS AND OPTICS TO EDUCATORS FROM
THROUGHOUT THE NEW ENGLAND -- ACTUALLY, ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH WORD OF MOUTH.
I DO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS.
I GREW UP IN SPRINGFIELD.
I KNOW THE TEACHERS AND COUNSELORS IN THE SURROUNDING
AREA.
I DO STAY IN TOUCH WITH A LOT OF THE ENGINEERING TYPE PROFESSORS.
TEACHERS FROM THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS.
WE RECENTLY SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH A HIGH SCHOOL AS FAR UP AS
VERMONT.
AND WE PLAN ON EXTENDING THAT TO OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE AREA.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COURSES THAT STUDENTS CAN TAKE AT THE
HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL AS LONG AS IT'S PART OF OUR ARTICULATION
PROGRAM, THEY CAN EARN UP TO 8 COURSES WHILE THEY ARE STILL IN
HIGH SCHOOL.
SO TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT WAY.
WE HAVE POSTERS, BILLBOARDS, YOU KNOW, EVERYWHERE AND STILL HAVE
A HARD TIME GETTING ENOUGH PEOPLE TO SATISFY THE INDUSTRY.
>> WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
WHAT DO YOU HEAR FROM YOUR FRIENDS?
JUST THAT THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT OR OTHER INTERESTS?
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
A FEW OF THEM DO HAVE OTHER INTERESTS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE PURELY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
ONCE YOU FIND OUT ABOUT IT, YOU ARE ALMOST -- YOUR LIMITS ARE
ALMOST ENDLESS.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PARENTS WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, PAYING FOR COLLEGE FOR THEIR KIDS AND ALL THE BILLS
THAT COME WITH THAT?
WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE THEM TO LOOK INTO THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I LOOK AT MY OWN SON WHO IS NOT A LASER OPTICS TECHNICIAN.
AND IF HE HAD GONE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, IT'S A TWO-YEAR
PROGRAM.
VERY INEXPENSIVE.
BUT THE COST BENEFIT AS A PARENT IS HUGE.
THEY CAN GO ON FOR A BACHELOR'S DEGREE AFTERWARDS.
IF THEY SPENT THE FIRST TWO YEARS HERE, THEY GET TANGIBLE
SKILLS THEY CAN MARKET, GO TO WORK.
COMPANIES USUALLY PAY FOR PEOPLE TO CONTINUE EDUCATION.
IF YOU ARE STRAPPED FOR TUITION, THAT IS A DEFINITE OPTION THAT'S
AVAILABLE.
AND THE OTHER THING IS IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
WE DON'T GET THE TOP LEVEL ENGINEERING-TYPE STUDENTS WHO GO
TO MIT OR WPI.
WE GET STUDENTS WHO ARE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD STUDENTS BUT LIKE
TECHNOLOGY, LIKE WORKING WITH THEIR HANDS AND WE CAN DO A LOT
WITH THOSE STUDENTS.
THEY END UP BEING BETTER THAN THE PURELY ACADEMIC STUDENTS.
>> AND VERY SUCCESSFUL.
>> AND SUCCESSFUL.
>> WITHOUT THE STUDENT LOANS.
>> WITHOUT THE STUDENT LOANS, YEAH.
EXACTLY.
>> ABOUT 40 TO 60,000 ONCE THEY GRADUATE.
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES WITHOUT GETTING A BACHELOR'S
FROM THERE?
>> VERY INTERESTING QUESTION.
SIX FIGURES, EASY.
AFTER FIVE YEARS OUT, THEY ARE PULLING THAT SIX FIGURES.
RIGHT NOW EVEN WITH LESS THAN FIVE YEARS EXPERIENCE, CERTAIN
COMPANIES ARE GROWING AND CAN'T HIRE ENOUGH PEOPLE.
WHAT THEY DO IS ALLOW PEOPLE TO WORK UNLIMITED OVERTIME.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE SOME MONEY AND DOING REALLY
CUTTING-EDGE TECHNICAL WORK, THAT'S ONE COMPANY LIKE GANG
BUSTERS.