Ensuring a WMass casino means jobs for WMass people

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - As casinos make their way into Massachusetts, they're expected to bring 10,000 jobs with them.

Holyoke Community College President Bill Messner told 22News, “The casino has the potential to be one of the largest employers in the state."

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission doesn't expect to hand out the first license until February of 2014, but union leaders and community colleges want the training process to begin as soon as possible.

Jeff Hayden, the Vice President of Business & Community Services at HCC, said, “Although the casinos are about 2 years away from opening, to have 10,000 workers statewide ready to work for the casinos is going to take a significant planning effort which needs to begin now."

At a special informal meeting Tuesday at Holyoke Community College with two gaming commission members, representatives from the school explained their plan to get local workers ready.

Messner explained, “One of the things that we found in other states is when they didn't take a planned approach to workforce, folks came into from other states to take the jobs"

The HCC plan uses a model developed by the Atlantic Cape Community College in New Jersey to train students for licensed casino positions.

Those are jobs that deal directly with gaming or money.

HCC already has programs designed for other positions like hospitality, facilities, security, and information technology.

Some of those jobs will be temporary construction jobs and not all who train for positions are guaranteed to get one but that doesn't matter to those who support this certification process because overall it will strengthen our area's workforce.

Jason Grand of the Local 108 Carpenter’s Union told 22News, “If you do this methodically you can make this a career change, this isn't just a job for one person for the length of a two year casino this is an opportunity for them to have a career this will be this first step."

HCC's president estimates that 30,000 people across the state will enter these casino training programs, putting those extra 20,000 skilled workers into the general workforce.