New Training Center at Vocational Technical School

The MA OTA established the STAR training center, in cooperation with Bay Path Regional, with a $52,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that will work to improve manual spray-painting operations, thereby reducing health risks and environmental impacts. The program, originally developed by the Iowa Waste Reduction Center, is directed towards automotive technicians, industrial painters, and students studying to become spray technicians. Participants experience individual, hands-on training using a laser-guided spray gun that optimizes transfer efficiency and reduces overspray, thus reducing pollution and paint waste.

As part of the grant requirements a total of ten business professionals will be trained in this new technology. As of November 2003, five spray technicians had been trained from the following Massachusetts companies: Central Coating in West Boylston, Doranco Inc. in Mansfield, Eastern Etching and Manufacturing Inc. in Chicopee, General Dynamics C4 Systems in Taunton, and L & J of New England in Worcester.