WESTFIELD – Having been in the market for one for the past five years, and having only recently secured funds to hire one, it appears that the search for a fifth manufacturing technology teacher will continue at Westfield Vocational Technical High School.
According to the head of the school’s Manufacturing Technology shop, Clement Fucci, the position has been in need of filling for a while now.
“After five years of pursuing a fifth teacher, we finally got the funding in June,” said Fucci. “It’s not just a problem here, but across the state of Massachusetts. Precision Manufacturing is difficult to find.”
According to Fucci and WVTHS Principal Stefan Czaporowski, the school department has only been able to attract four applicants for the position since they began advertising it, two of whom didn’t meet the requirements, while two others were offered the position but declined it due to the pay cut they would incur.
“Some people working in manufacturing are making over $80,000,” Fucci said, before adding the requirements necessary for the position.
“Chapter 74 says that you must have at least five years of experience in a machine shop to be hired,” he said. “And in order to teach, a person has to take written and practical exams, along with the MTEL for initial certification.”
Fucci said that the school is willing to grant a waiver for a year to a new teacher with experience in a shop for them to pass the written, practical and MTEL.
“I can hire someone out of a shop and they get a year to get those three,” he said.
Within five years of accepting the position, new shop teachers must then earn 36 credits in occupational education courses to complete their certification.
“Now is the time to get people to teach this,” Fucci said. “Just like the rest of the workforce, the teaching force for manufacturing is graying.”
He cites several factors as to why the position, and manufacturing in general, hasn’t drawn the interest he’d hoped it would.
“People are unaware of the position,” Fucci said “and (students) are unaware of the phenomenal jobs out there that you don’t need a college degree for.”
Principal Stefan Czaporowski agrees wholeheartedly with his main manufacturing man.
“Most kids are graduating into starting positions (in manufacturing) that are paying $35,000 -40,000 to start, right out of high school, with no college loans!” he said.
According to James Brett, president and chief executive officer of The New England Council, Massachusetts is set to have 100,000 job vacancies in manufacturing within the next ten years, and Fucci believes that, if the state can’t get people who are willing to take the pay cut to teach the essential skills of manufacturing, those vacancies will remain or go elsewhere.
“I’ve talked at different manufacturing functions and spoken to people in Connecticut,” he said. “I thought we’d have someone for this by now.”
Czaporowski said that the school conducted interviews for the position during the summer, but the issue for those who declined the position was always the same.
“You’re going to be making less money,” he said. “But we’re hiring for experience in the field.”
Czaporowski said that a teacher in a traditional classroom enters a step system upon the start of their tenure based on their level of education, which dictates their salary.
“We’re looking to give teachers credit for the number of years they’ve been working in their trade,” he said. “They might start at around $40,000.
Czaporowski said that the rate of pay for a shop teacher at the Voc-Tech is less than other schools in the region such as Dean Tech in Holyoke.
“If they have a degree, they’ll also get credit. Applicants for this position must have five or six years shop experience,” he said.
Czaporowski said that teachers can take the vocational to the MTEL, which the Massachusetts Association for Vocational Administrators sponsors for people entering vocational education, paying a portion of the fee for those taking courses mentioned by Fucci for the written and practical tests, which cost between $600 and $800 per course.
“Chicopee Comp, Pathfinder, and Putnam Vocational also take these courses through MAVA,” Czaporowski said.
Both Fucci and Czaporowski said that, regardless of the presence of a fifth teacher, the number of students applying for seats in the manufacturing shop will remain steady.
“The freshmen usually make a choice before Christmas,” Fucci said. “We had 24 students apply for 16 slots last year, which we’ve upped to 18 this year.”
Assuming a fifth teacher isn’t hired, that number may be brought back down to 16 due to the nature of the equipment in the manufacturing shop and the need for more sets of eyes on the students.
“Most seniors are in co-ops right now. It’ll be about 50-50 by the end of term one,” Czaporowski said, before adding that most will be hired upon graduation.
Westfield Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Scallion echoed the sentiments of Fucci and Czaporowski regarding the continued search.
“It’s a tough position to fill,” she said regarding the elusive fifth teacher. “We’ll keep the search going, and hope we can find the right fit.”
“We believe that department offers a great service to our business community,” Scallion added. “For our students, there are great jobs available for them. It’s a case of supply and demand, and we hope the right person comes along.”
