By KENNEDY GRIFFIN
(Turners Falls, MA) Franklin County Technical School (FCTS) has been awarded a $4.1 million grant from the Massachusetts Skills Capital Grant program. The funding will be used to construct a 12,000 square foot lab and launch a new Aviation Maintenance Technician program for traditional and adult students.
Superintendent Richard Martin said “This is huge for us. We will be able to create a different dynamic than other technical schools by offering an aviation program.”
Graduates of the program will meet be Airplane Maintenance Technicians who meet Federal Aviation Administration criteria for certification. The program is a collaboration between FCTS the Turners Falls Airport Commission and the Gulfstream Corporation, and will be working with the new UMass Aviation and Research Center and Bridgewater State University’s Aviation Science Program.
School Committee Member and Airport Manager Bryan Camden said, “This grant is important because it will allow Franklin County Tech to expand into an entirely new trade program.”