Students at Laconia Middle School Explore Pathways, Partnerships at College Expo

Eighth-grade students from Tiffany Dube’s Family and Consumer Science class at Laconia Middle School visited Lakes Region Community College (LRCC) to participate in an immersive Business Career Expo on Friday, Dec. 5. The event was designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the professional world, offering students a firsthand look at the local business industry.

The centerpiece of the expo was a panel discussion featuring a diverse group of leaders from the Laconia business community. Students engaged in a Q&A session, asking panelists about their daily operations and seeking advice for their future careers.

The expo provided an interactive environment where students could meet and talk one-on-one with many local businesses from the area. The students were also taken on a tour of the LRCC campus, giving them a glimpse of the programs and educational pathways offered by the college.

Pictured above: Laconia Middle School students visit the automotive program at LRCC

Assembling NH’s Future Manufacturing Workforce

New Hampshire’s manufacturers create everything from food to satellites, but one thing they are all focused on is creating workforce pipelines. These workforce efforts include a coalition of businesses, colleges, the state and the NH Manufacturing Extension Partnership. 

It Starts with a Spark

In NH, developing the manufacturing workforce begins in high school. Spark Academy is a public charter high school for grades 9–12 focused on advanced manufacturing and engineering. Partnering with, and based at, Manchester Community College, Spark Academy blends academics with technical training, preparing students for both college and high-demand careers while strengthening the state’s workforce pipeline.

“We start by getting kids excited, introducing them to robotics, to computer automated design, blueprint reading,” says John Tuttle, Spark Academy’s director. “Maybe they want to get into welding or HVAC or something else. Once they are in their third year, we open the college to them and they can choose whatever pathway they want.” Tuttle says manufacturers often mistakenly overlook recent high school graduates. “If you wait until they go to college, you’ve already missed a big opportunity,” he says.

Emily Benson, employee success officer at Bensonwood, a company that designs and builds high performance homes, agrees. A former professor at Keene State College, she now leads the company’s apprenticeship and workforce training programs. “We can’t hire for a lot of the skill sets we need, so training is essential,” Benson says. “But just as important is getting in front of young people early so they even know this is an option.”

Bensonwood’s apprenticeship program, developed with ApprenticeshipNH, creates similar real-world experiences. Four of the seven apprentices in its most recent cohort relocated to the region to participate. “That shows what’s possible when companies and schools build pathways together,” Benson says, adding the program has helped retain employees.

Pictured above: Students from Spark Academy, located at MCC, programming an XRP to follow a line

Great Bay Community College Tutors Recertified as Level 1 Certified Tutor Training Program

The tutoring program at Great Bay Community College (GBCC) has been recertified as a Level 1 certified tutor training program by the internationally recognized College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). Certification confirms that GBCC’s Center for Academic Planning and Support (CAPS) Tutor Services Program meets CRLA’s high standards for tutor selection, training, direct service and evaluation.

The CAPS Tutor Services Program offers tutoring on GBCC’s campus at no cost to students enrolled in a credit-bearing class. CAPS employs both peer and professional tutors dedicated to helping students succeed, become independent and interdependent learners, and reach their academic goals.

“We’re incredibly proud that our CAPS peer tutor program at GBCC has earned CRLA recertification. This five-year accreditation affirms the quality and rigor of our tutor training and recognizes the dedication of our peer tutors. It elevates their role from simply being helpful classmates to providing nationally recognized academic supports. CLRA Certification also reflects GBCC’s ongoing commitment to student success — we’re doing everything we can to ensure our students are supported, empowered and equipped to thrive,” said Jenna Anand, director of the Center for Academic Planning & Support at GBCC.

Pictured above: Bella Belluche, GBCC Math and Science tutor earned her CRLA Tutor Certification. Left-to-right: Bella Belluche, Anna Scruton, GBCC Computer and Math tutor, and student Justin Ambros

Local Hospitals Donate Imaging Equipment to NHTI

After updating their own equipment, Monadnock Community Hospital and Catholic Medical Center generously donated specialized ultrasound machines to NHTI, Concord’s Community College. These donations enable students entering medical imaging fields to gain vital hands-on experience with equipment currently used in the field.

“Most hospitals do not donate equipment, because their old systems get traded in to add a discount to the purchase of new equipment,” said Michelle Wade, program coordinator for NHTI’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography program.



Students immediately began practicing on the equipment once it was loaded into NHTI’s sonography lab. Wade, who also serves as a professor, noted that the new machines quickly became student favorites due to their exceptional image quality.

Pictured above: NHTI students pose with the recently-donated specialized ultrasound machine