STCC’s laser technology program gets boost from $500,000 state grant

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College’s laser technology program, which has consistently placed graduates with some of the top regional and national high-tech companies, has tapped a half-million-dollar state grant to build a sophisticated laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment.

The Massachusetts Skills Capital Grant Program recently awarded the college $499,785 – money that will go toward creating an advanced laser machining laboratory and one-year laser materials processing certificate of completion program.  The college will deploy new high-powered lasers for cutting, drilling and welding steel and different materials to meet the needs of the growing laser-manufacturing industry in Massachusetts. 

The timing is good, because this is the laser technology that is currently deployed in a lot of companies. The equipment has gotten a lot more sophisticated. Nicholas Massa, STCC Laser Electro-Optics Technology professor

The grant to expand the program at STCC – the only one in New England – was among the top three largest 2016 Skills Capital Grant Program awards given this year. In total, 35 organizations in the state received grants, according to the state Housing and Economic Development website.

With a boost from the award, students this fall will get hands-on experience working with these cutting-edge tools, which include sophisticated laser machining equipment, laser test and measurement equipment, and video inspection microscopes, among other equipment, said STCC Laser Electro-Optics Technology Professor and Program Coordinator Dr. Nicholas Massa.  Students in the college’s Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) program will also benefit from using the equipment.

Armed with new skills, graduates with associate degrees in the STCC programs will be highly sought-after in the job market, according to Massa, who has been coordinating the program since 1986. Nearly all of the graduates from the laser technology program get hired by companies looking for skilled workers, Massa said.

(For more information, read Facts about STCC's Laser Electro-Optics Technology program.)

Students get training with equipment used in the field

While the 40-year-old STCC program may be one of the oldest associate degree programs for laser electro-optic technology in the country, students will get to work with new equipment that prepares them to pursue careers in integrated photonics manufacturing fields. Industries include aerospace and defense, biomedical device manufacturing, rapid prototyping, opto-mechanics and semiconductor manufacturing, custom sheet metal fabrication and other micromachining fields that require laser precision.

“The timing is good, because this is the laser technology that is currently deployed in a lot of companies,” Massa said. “The equipment has gotten a lot more sophisticated.”

After students train with this equipment and graduate from the program, they will be ready to start on Day One in the high-tech, advanced manufacturing facilities of many regional – and national – employers.

A recent study by Deloitte Consulting and the New England Council found that the Northeast regional economy has unique capabilities in advanced manufacturing in a broad range of industries that use the integrated application of lasers and photonics in the manufacturing process, including precision laser cutting, welding, drilling, 3D scanning and many other applications.

The Laser Electro-Optics Technology program – a pathway to a successful career

STCC offers a wide range of learning opportunities for students focused on high-tech fields – and the laser program is no exception. To reflect the depth of the program, the name will change to Optics and Photonics Technology.

But Massa said he realizes the average high school student or worker considering a career change may not have heard about the field of laser technology or may be unfamiliar with terms like “optics” and “photonics.”

That’s just one of the challenges, he said. Another hurdle: Those considering enrolling may be scared off thinking there is a lot of complicated math involved.

But Massa said anyone considering the program does not need a strong math background. STCC will help students fill in their knowledge gaps.

“One of the big misconceptions about laser technology is that it’s all high-level math and science – big bang theory stuff. It’s really not,” Massa said. “It’s very practical and hands-on. We’ll teach you all the math you need to know.”

Program will serve a range of area residents

The laser program draws a diverse group, from recent high school graduates to veterans and workers who lost their jobs in other fields. In some cases, trained engineers or workers with master’s degrees might enroll in the program to gain skills needed to advance in their careers. Students range in ages from 18 to 70. Massa said the laser program can transform lives in as little as two years. He offered some highlights:

• Nearly 100 percent of the graduates get offered jobs – and many are hired before graduation.
• Companies are hiring from New England to Hawaii.
• Graduates are landing high-paying jobs.
• Industry growth rate is predicted to be 13-15 percent per year.

Since 1976, the program has trained more than 1,000 students, preparing them for jobs in the optics and photonics field across the United States. The program draws students from throughout New England and beyond, Massa says.

No other school in New England teaches Laser Electro-Optics Technology, Massa said, which is one reason why big name New England-based employers like Pratt & Whitney or Smith & Wesson – and even smaller “mom and pop” shops – look to STCC when hiring new employees.  Several optics/photonics companies hire almost exclusively from the laser program at STCC. They include Nufern in East Granby, Conn., IPG Photonics in Oxford and Prima Electro in Chicopee.

“When you study Laser Electro-Optics Technology, you’re choosing a career path with many possibilities for advancement,” Massa said. “After you’ve earned your degree, you’ll find yourself in demand for some hot jobs in the region and throughout the country.”

Employers hiring laser program graduates from STCC

Massa said Massachusetts has the highest per capita number of companies involved with lasers, photonics, fiber optics and related fields. STCC is the only two-year program in the New England and one of only a handful in the country. Because there are so few programs, the demand for trained technicians far outpaces the number of graduates.

“This area happens to be a hot bed for precision manufacturing, especially in the use of lasers for biomedical devices and aerospace,” he said.

Graduates go on to perform jobs that might involve drilling tiny hair-sized holes in jet engine turbine blades, stripping delicate wires that connect to diabetes pumps or hermetically sealing pacemakers.

“It’s fascinating,” he said of the work involved in laser electro-optics technology.

Some STCC graduates also transfer to pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a similar field.

While some graduates may want to stay close to home, others may want to venture far afield. Massa said students have taken jobs in Hawaii, where a Boeing plant is located. Others relocate to Northern California, where the semi-conductor industry relies heavily on lasers. Texas and Florida also provide many job opportunities.  A study by the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Optics & Technology Education Center found the largest number of employed technicians are located in the West and New England regions.

“It’s a huge industry,” Massa said.

Training at STCC helped former student land a good job

A former student in the laser program, Jonathan Forgue, 35, of Agawam, enrolled after he served in the Army. He came home in the summer of 2012 without a clear idea of what to do next.  “Despite my (military) experience, not having a degree really limited my opportunities,” Forgue said.

He went to STCC and an advisor showed him information about the laser program.  He decided to enroll and then went on to earn his associate degree.

With Massa’s help, Forgue received an internship from Nufern, a fiber laser maker in East Granby, Conn. He works there today as an optical fiber test technician and plans to attend the University of Hartford to pursue his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.

“I had a blast with it,” said Forgue, who graduated in 2014. “I never really thought math or science would be something I would take to. But the way it was taught (at STCC) is the way it was in the industry – not a lot of useless information. You get to apply it right away.”

Bolstered by the new grant, the expanded program at STCC now may be the best way for people like Forgue to land a good-paying job in an industry that shows no signs of slowing its growth.

 “It’s not super sophisticated where somebody with average intelligence couldn’t do well in it,” Massa said of the program. “I’ve never heard a student come out of the program and say they didn’t like it. They’re very gung-ho when they come out of here. They love what they’re doing. A good 90 percent of them are still in the field after 20 or 30 years. They’ve moved up into management positions. They’re still working at the companies that hired them originally.”

To enroll in STCC’s laser program, visit the Admissions Office in Building 16, Room 121 or click here to apply online. If you have questions, call the Admissions Office at 413-755-3333 or email us at admissions@stcc.edu.

About Springfield Technical Community College

Founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, STCC is a major resource for the economic vitality of western Massachusetts. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC, an Achieving the Dream Leader College, offers a variety of career programs unequalled in the state. STCC’s highly regarded transfer programs in business, engineering, liberal arts, science and technology continue to provide the most economical option for students pursuing a four-year degree. With an annual enrollment of more than 8,500 day, evening, weekend and online students, STCC is a vibrant campus rich in diversity.

Media Contact: Jim Danko, Coordinator of Media Relations, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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