Q&A with Chancellor Rubinstein: Investing in Workforce is Vital for Business Growth

NH Business Review recently conducted a Q&A with Dr. Mark Rubinstein, CCSNH Chancellor.

Q: Why is it important for businesses to invest in workforce development?

A: Investing in workforce development is crucial for every New Hampshire business, regardless of size, in today’s economic environment. With unemployment at an all-time low, employers need to veer from traditional hiring and management practices, think outside the box and identify creative ways to hire, train and retain employees.

Workforce development fosters employee engagement, retention, loyalty, and aids businesses in succession planning, reducing turnover costs. It ensures employees stay skilled and competitive, enabling businesses to thrive in a rapidly changing market, as well as adapt to evolving industry needs, embrace new technologies and remain competitive. Moreover, a skilled workforce attracts investment, stimulates economic growth, and contributes to the overall success and prosperity of New Hampshire’s business landscape.

Q: What are some of the ways businesses can improve their workforce training programs?

A: CCSNH provides training and consulting options to businesses that either do not have a training department or may need to look outside the company for training expertise. Our workforce training professionals can conduct assessments to identify training needs and work with you to create programs that fit.  

Five CCSNH Graduates Named NH P2Bio Transfer Scholars for Fall 2023

Five recent graduates from across the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) have been awarded $20,000 transfer scholarships to the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). The “Pathways to Professions in the Biosciences” (P²Bio) Scholarship Program provides financial support and academic programing to New Hampshire community college students pursuing four-year degrees in the life sciences at UNH.



“Programs such as P2Bio illustrate both the National Science Foundation’s and the University of New Hampshire’s commitment to the development of talented students who, every year, choose to begin their higher education through one of New Hampshire’s community colleges,” said Dr. Leslie Barber, Great Bay Community College (GBCC) professor of biological science and CCSNH faculty fellow. “CCSNH students who wish to move on to earning a bachelor’s degree or beyond typically choose to continue their higher education in New Hampshire and remain in the state as they enter the workforce. We support this process through comprehensive course transfer pathways, built and sustained through partnerships between CCSNH, UNH, and the entire University System of New Hampshire. These students are an important resource for our state, and it is a real pleasure to support their development through programs like P2Bio.”

NHTI Pharmacy Technician Program Receives National Recognition

Career-changers looking to enroll in the new Certified Pharmacy Technician apprenticeship program with the Business Training Center at NHTI – Concord’s Community College got great news last week: NHTI’s BTC has gained recognition by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board as a PTCB-Recognized Education/ Training Program. This allows participants to meet the eligibility requirements to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam.

In collaboration with Concord Hospital, participants can take the 8-week, 104-hour Certified Pharmacy Technician apprenticeship program, plus on-the-job training. After completing the course, participants are eligible to sit for the Pharmacy Technicians Certification Exam. After 4-6 months of pharmacy work, graduates are then eligible for part two of the training: a 40-hour course focusing on hospital pharmacy settings.

CCSNH’s ApprenticeshipNH and White Mountain Paper Launch Electrical and Electronics Repairers Apprenticeship

Paper products are an integral part of our lives, part of countless industrial and consumer products we use every day. The skill of papermaking is part of Gorham, New Hampshire’s history, and White Mountain Paper Company is proud to represent that regional legacy. As the workforce ages, keeping the paper manufacturing process going will require sharing paper-industry skills to create a pipeline of skilled workers for this critical industry.

In response to this demand, ApprenticeshipNH, a workforce program of the Community College System of New Hampshire, partnered with White Mountain Paper to launch an Electrical and Electronics Repairers Registered Apprenticeship program. This program is designed to generate a skilled workforce that can keep this specific machinery operating at an optimal level. Using ApprenticeshipNH’s “Earn While You Learn” model, apprentices will earn pay while being trained and mentored at one of the country's oldest paper mills.