Penn National and Middlesex Community College Team Up With Worker Training Program

Middlesex Community College signed an agreement with Penn National Gaming on Thursday for the college to train the workforce for the proposed slots parlor at 300 Ames Pond Drive in Tewksbury.

The college will work with Penn National and Casino Careers Institute (CCI) to develop workforce training and related development services through an agreement CCI has with Atlantic Cape Community College (ACCC) in New Jersey, according to a release from Penn National.

Middlesex Community College will use curriculum developed by ACCC as well as customize programs based on training needs of employees of the proposed Tewksbury slots parlor, according to the release.

The $200 million proposed project is expected to provided as many as 500 permanent jobs.

Middlesex Community College President Carole Cowan said the workforce training program with Penn National would be similar to programs the college already has with other area businesses, according to the release.

“This kind of partnership is exactly what we already do with so many of our businesses partners - we tailor a training plan to help them meet their needs, and at the same time, help fulfill our workforce training mandates to prepare workers to meet the needs of their employers and communities,” Cowan. 

In other areas where they do business, Penn National has most recently partnered with Husson University in Bangor, Maine.

Jeff Morris, Director of Public Affairs at Penn National, said the agreement will help the company hire as many employees from the Tewksbury area as possible if the slots parlor is approved at a special Town meeting on Aug. 20 and a special election on Sept. 21, according to the release.

“A primary goal of Penn National in Tewksbury, and at all our facilities, is to hire
as many people as possible from the local community," Morris said. "In order to do that, we need to have training programs in place that are high-quality and accessible, which is why Middlesex Community College is a perfect partner.”