Gov. Baker visits Westfield technical Academy, Barnes Air National Guard Base

WESTFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - On Tuesday afternoon, Governor Charlie Baker made several stops in the city of Westfield.

First, he and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito joined the Secretary of Education at Westfield Technical Academy to announce the latest round of Skills Capital Grants.

There, the governor explained the need for the extra funding.

“This was the first time anyone had put skill building into an economic development bill,” Governor Baker said. “We always thought about economic development as projects and certainly the capital to make those projects happen, but this was the first time we took the position that the human capital was involved in economic development, and that needs to be part of every economic development bill we do going forward.”

Later, the pair joined Congressman Richard Neal and other state and local officials at Barnes Air National Guard Base to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new main gate.

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