SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) — Two local colleges have announced a new program to help prepare the Western Mass. workforce for jobs offered by a casino.
Springfield Technical Community College and Holyoke Community College will work with the State Gaming Commission and developers on the program.
The President of STCC, Ira Rubenzahl told us, “It’s very important. We have a robust program, otherwise local people won’t be eligible for these jobs, and we want local people to get these jobs, and for the casinos not to be importing people from other states for example.”
Organizers say they expect about 3,000 people to be enrolled in the training.
They aren’t sure exactly when the program will begin though because that all depends on how quickly casino plans move forward.
But they are still urging you to be on the lookout for the program in the next 6 months.
Ow wow… training for minimum and sub-minimum wage jobs…. how cool. The state in partnership with the slave masters. Springfield needs jobs that actually MAKE things, not more of this ****.
Any job is s good thing and training and education is important for anyone to do well in whatever job they work.
I think it’s great that training is being offered. Many casino jobs (from past experience in Reno) pay well above minimum wage, and those that pay the minimum are usually tipped positions…for example, food servers and dealers.
Quite frankly, one of my favorite jobs was as a restaurant manager at a “locals” casino!
The first course they should offer is statistics so people can learn why a casino is a bad idea for Springfield.
Hadathought…what type of statistics?? Increase in revenue for the city??? Lowering of unemployment??? Number of people attending college and receiving a certificate, thus increasing their ability to attain employment versus collecting monies from the state???
No matter where the casino(s) eventually end up, we’ll still have crime, panhandlers, unemployment, etc. in Springfield, as well as in the “sleepy” towns that are also vying to be the “chosen ones.”