Breaking the Language Barrier: A Report on English Language Services in Greater Boston

This report, commissioned by the Boston Foundation and researched and written by Commonwealth Corporation, focuses on the "ESOL system," comprising services funded by the Massachusetts Department for Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) and other sources. The analysis assesses how far the system has come in resolving its challenges and suggests ways to make further progress. The report describes the demand and supply for English services as well as the quantity and quality of those services and makes recommendations for changes that would help the system meet the needs of Limited English Proficient (LEP) immigrants within the public sector budget constraints that will be in place for the near future.

Closing the Massachusetts Skills Gap: Recommendations & Action Steps

This report is the culmination of an 18-month project to better understand labor demand and supply across the state. This report defines a problem and issues a call to action and serves as the final product of Skills Gap: Supply & Demand in the Massachusetts Economy.

FY 2010 Annual Performance Report of Massachusetts Workforce Development Services & Programs

The Annual Performance Report for Massachusetts Workforce Development Services and Programs includes the primary programs for workforce development administered by state agencies. The statewide reports have been compiled from data and reports provided by the state agencies responsible for managing the federal and/or state funds allocated for workforce development programs and services.

FY2011 Regional Workforce Investment Profiles for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Regional Workforce Investment Profiles is an annual publication that includes details of major Massachusetts workforce development programs, available resources or funds and the number of individuals served during a fiscal year. The Fiscal Year 2011 edition includes federal and state funds allocated to local workforce areas during state fiscal year 2011 - July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. The programs are divided into four segments - those for the Transitional workforce, the Emerging workforce, the Incumbent workforce and Adult Basic Education (ABE)/English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services. Summary information about public higher education is also included.

Manufacturing Chartbook

The Manufacturing Chartbook is a detailed picture of the manufacturing sector in Massachusetts, highlighting the sector's importance to the state economy, changes in recent years, and opportunities for workers. This chartbook is designed for workforce development professionals, guidance professionals, policy makers, and manufacturing industry stakeholders.

Measuring Business Impact: Lessons Learned from Workforce Development in Massachusetts

This report examines the challenges and opportunities of measuring the impact of workforce development programs on employers. Measuring Business Impact looks at impact of the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund's (WCTF) 31 projects across multiple industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, trades and financial services.

Q4, 2009 Critical Vacancy Data

Commonwealth Corporation undertakes further analysis of the statewide vacancy data to identify critical vacancies and persistent vacancies to help inform the state's workforce development system. Massachusetts' Department of Workforce Development's Division of Career Services (DCS) conducts a job vacancy survey twice a year. DCS provides estimates for detailed occupations to Commonwealth Corporation.

Regional Workforce Investment Profiles for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts FY2009

The Regional Workforce Investment Profiles is an annual publication that includes details of major Massachusetts workforce development programs, available resources or funds and the number of individuals served during a fiscal year.

Retaining Older Workers: Practical Strategies for Workforce Development Leaders

This is a briefing paper prepared by Community Matters for Commonwealth Corporation. This paper summarizes the projects that participated in Commonwealth Corporation's Older Worker Retention Strategies Grants funded by the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund and presents findings and lessons learned from the pilot projects.

Signaling Success: Boosting Teen Employment Prospects

This study examines the historically low teen employment rates and identifies employer perceptions of teens in the workplace. Signaling Success: Boosting Teen Employment Prospects was released at a Workforce Development in Practice series event on April 2, 2013 in Worcester.

The Increased Presence of Older Workers in the Massachusetts Labor Market

This report was prepared by the Center for Labor Markets & Policy at Drexel University for Commonwealth Corporation. It provides an overview of trends in the labor force among the nation's older population and presents more recent labor market outcomes of older workers in the nation and in Massachusetts. This report also examines the industries and occupations in which older workers in Massachusetts are employed and the change across the different industries/occupations.