>> TRAIN IN SPRINGFIELD, WORK ANYWHERE.
OPENING ON FEBRUARY 26, THE MASSACHUSETTS CASINO CAREER
TRAINING INSTITUTE GAMING SCHOOL IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP AND TRAIN
INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR GAMING POSITIONS AT
MGM SPRINGFIELD.
BUT THE SKILLS LEARNED AT THE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM RUN IN
CONCERT WITH TWO AREA COLLEGES CAN BE USED AT ANY CASINO.
CHRISTINA ROYAL, PRESIDENT OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND JOHN
COOK, PRESIDENT OF SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE,
JOINED ME TO EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM.
>> SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY AND HOLYOKE COLLEGE
HAVE A HIT OF PARTNERING TOGETHER.
WE HAVE PARTNERSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES.
SPECIFICALLY TO BE ABLE TO HELP ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF LOCAL
WORKFORCE NEEDS AND EMPLOYER NEEDS.
SO WE TRY TO COME TOGETHER IN THE SHARED SPACE.
WE'RE ALL ABOUT REALLY LIFTING UP THE REGION.
OUR STUDENTS AT BOTH INSTITUTIONS TEND TO STAY LOCAL.
SO WE ARE INVESTED IN THE PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR JOB
OPPORTUNITIES HERE AND EMPLOYERS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR QUALIFIED
TALENT AND SKILLED TALENT AND SO THIS OPPORTUNITY WITH THE GAMING
SCHOOL SEEMS LIKE A NATURAL EXTENSION OF WHAT WE ALREADY DO
TOGETHER.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH COLLEGES TO
SUPPORT ONE OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYER THAT WE'LL HAVE IN THE
REGION.
>> THIS IS WHAT COMMUNITY COLLEGES DO WELL.
WE RESPOND IN PARTICULAR TO THE NEED FOR CAREER BUILDING AND
THAT CONNECTION TO ECONOMICS.
WE CAN ALSO BE NIMBLE IN HOW WE RESPOND.
SHORT-TERM TRAINING NOT ONLY CERTIFICATES AND DEGREES.
I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO OUR STRENGTHS AS COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
ALL THE MORE SO WE ARE DOING IN PARTNERSHIP.
>> TO YOUR POINT WITH THE GAMING SCHOOL, IT'S A FEW MONTHS OF
TRAINING WHERE THEN YOU CAN EXPECT TO HAVE A JOB OR HOPE TO
HAVE A JOB AT THE END OF THE TRAINING AS OPPOSED TO A YEAR OR
TWO IF YOU'RE GETTING THAT DEGREE PROGRAM.
I WANT TO REMIND VIEWERS OF HOW WE GOT HERE.
YOU SAID THE EXPEDIENCY WITH WHICH YOU CAN WORK.
WE ARE IN 2018.
IT WAS 2012 WHEN THE AGREEMENT WAS MADE THAT THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGES AGREED TO WORK TOGETHER IN PROVIDING GAMING TO THE
RESIDENTS IN STATE.
TO YOUR POINT, THAT'S A PRETTY QUICK TIMETABLE TO TURN AROUND
THIS BRAND-NEW CURRICULUM THAT YOU ARE NOW OFFERING TO PEOPLE.
>> WE HAVE BEEN RESPONDING TO EMPLOYERS SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN
SOME WAYS AND CAN -- YES, A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME
BRING A LOT OF RESOURCES, ABILITY TO GET AFTER IT AND MAKE
SURE THAT WE ARE JUST AS TIMELY AS THOSE JOBS ARE.
>> WE CAN EXPECT THE CASINO TO COME ONLINE ON SCHEDULE EVEN
PERHAPS SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE TO OPEN A LITTLE LATER
THIS YEAR.
WE HEARD A LOT IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE LEAD-UP TO MASSACHUSETTS
CONSIDERING WHETHER OR NOT TO BRING CASINOS TO THIS STATE
ABOUT THE PERILS OF GAMING, THE POTENTIAL PERILS, THE ADDICTIVE
NATURE OF GAMBLING.
WAS THAT TALKED ABOUT AMONG YOUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS, IS THIS
SOMETHING WE NEED TO WEIGH HERE?
>> I THINK IN ANY PROGRAM, OPPORTUNITY AND ALSO NEW CAREER
FIELDS, YOU ALWAYS WANT TO LOOK AT THE TOTALITY OF THAT
DECISION.
BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITY,
ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK TO TRY TO REACH UNDEREMPLOYED AND
UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS AND GIVE THEM NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND A
NEW CAREER PATH.
>> WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THE IDEA
OF A NEW JOB IN SPRINGFIELD.
WHAT CAN THE GAMING SCHOOL OFFER?
>> WE HAVE A FANTASTIC GAMING SCHOOL WE OPENED ON ONE OF THE
UPPER -- TOP FLOOR OF 95 STATE STREET.
WE ARE THRILLED WITH WHAT WE ARE PUTTING IN PEOPLE'S HANDS.
>> IT'S A MOCK CASINO FLOOR.
>> IT WILL BE OPENING MORNING, NOON, NIGHT.
>> OFFERING FLEXIBILITY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING RIGHT
NOW, LOOKING FOR THAT NEW CAREER.
I WAS INTERESTED WHEN THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, WHEN THE
SCHOOL MODEL WAS LAUNCHED, HE CALLED IT A MODEL FOR HOW WE CAN
WORK TOGETHER AS EMPLOYERS, STATE COLLEGES, STATE
GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND OTHER PARTNERS.
HOW DO YOU BUY IN FROM ALL THOSE GROUPS?
>> CERTAINLY PARTNERSHIP TAKES EFFORT.
I THINK IT STARTS REALLY WITH A COMMITMENT TO RECOGNIZING THAT,
IF WE WANT TO TACKLE BIG AUDACIOUS SCHOOLS IN THIS
REGION, WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.
I THINK THAT IT'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS PARTNERSHIP.
>> I STARTED AT THE COLLEGE IN 2016.
PRESIDENT ROYAL NOT FAR BEHIND IN 2017.
PART OF OUR LEGACY WAS OUR COLLEGES WERE ALREADY DOING A
LOT OF THIS WORK TOGETHER.
OUR TWO PREDECESSORS HELPED PAVE THE WAY.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO DO TO UPHOLD THAT.
>> EDUCATION, IN MY VIEW, IS THE SOLUTION TO EVERY PROBLEM THAT
WE HAVE IN AMERICA.
WE REALLY ARE FOCUSED ON HOW DO WE CREATE THE MOST-EDUCATED
POPULATION THAT CAN SERVE THE NEEDS OF OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY
AND EMPLOYERS?
BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HAVE -- WE WANT TO HAVE THE TOP TALENT
HERE.
TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO ATTRACT TALENT LIKE MGM
SPRINGFIELD, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN GET THE
TRAINING AND EDUCATION NEEDS RIGHT HERE AND THAT WE'LL BE
THERE TO HELP THEM SUPPORT THEIR FUTURE WORKFORCE.