Skip to content

Search

  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Governor Healey Announces More Than $24 Million to Grow Talent, Strengthen Businesses and Create Opportunity

Posted by  

commcorp

 

|

 

August 28, 2026

Investments will expand employer-led training, internships and career pathways to support Massachusetts industries

8/27/2026 – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced it will deploy more than $24 million to strengthen Massachusetts' workforce and talent development through the Workforce Investment Trust Fund (WITF) in Fiscal Year 2027. The investments are designed to help Massachusetts employers recruit and train the skilled workers they need to grow while expanding pathways for residents to build skills and access careers in high-demand industries and create economic opportunity.

Administered by the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED), the FY27 investments will be implemented in partnership with the Workforce Skills Cabinet and the Executive Offices of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD), Education, and Health and Human Services, along with their respective quasi-public agencies.

"Massachusetts' greatest competitive advantage has always been our people," said Governor Maura Healey. "These investments will help more residents access the skills, training and opportunities they need to succeed while ensuring employers have the talented workforce they need to grow, innovate and create jobs here in Massachusetts."

"Creating opportunity means making sure every resident can see a pathway to a rewarding career," said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. "These investments strengthen partnerships between employers, educators and community organizations to prepare workers for today's economy while building the workforce our businesses will need tomorrow."

Created by the Legislature, the Workforce Investment Trust Fund leverages sports betting revenues for targeted workforce training initiatives across Massachusetts, with a particular focus on low-income communities and vulnerable youth and young adults.

The investments support the administration's workforce strategy to make Massachusetts the global talent magnet. The FY27 Workforce Investment Trust Fund investments advance three strategic priorities:

  • Attracting and retaining talent in key industries. Funding will expand employer-connected workforce programs in life sciences, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, climatetech, defense and health care through Pathmaker programs, internship partnerships, nursing workforce investments and cybersecurity workforce development.

  • Opening career pathways for all. Investments will support apprenticeships, community-based workforce organizations, AI skills training, industry-recognized credential programs and workforce initiatives that help residents overcome barriers to employment and advance into high-demand careers.

  • Supporting global talent. Funding will strengthen programs that help employers recruit and retain international talent, expand career pathways for immigrants and refugees, and help internationally trained professionals earn credentials that allow them to work in their fields.

"Massachusetts' economic success depends on our ability to develop, attract and retain world-class talent," said Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley. "These investments connect employers with the skilled workforce they need while expanding opportunity for residents across the state. By supporting employer-driven training, internships, apprenticeships and career pathways, we're building a stronger workforce and a more competitive economy."

“Connecting talent to opportunity and employers to skilled talent are fundamental strategies to enhance our competitiveness and build strong, regional economies statewide,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones. “As a partnership across the Workforce Skills Cabinet, investments through this fund will strengthen these connections while also expanding tools for sector-based job training, improving resources within the workforce system, and delivering creative solutions to leverage untapped talent right here in Massachusetts."

“Education has always been one of Massachusetts’ greatest investments in opportunity, and today that means creating clearer connections between learning and the careers that are shaping our Commonwealth,” said Education Secretary Steve Zrike. “These investments reflect the collaborative work of the Workforce Skills Cabinet to help more learners gain real-world experience, build valuable skills and explore pathways into high-demand fields, while strengthening partnerships between education and employers.”

“In order to maintain Massachusetts’s status as a global health care leader, we need to be able to recruit and retain a wide variety of talent and positions in the health care sector,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kiame Mahaniah, MD, MBA. “Whether improving retention for nursing staff or helping a doctor find the appropriate path to practice in the US, I appreciate Governor Healey’s leadership in maintaining our state’s competitiveness so the research and care that happens here can continue further and serve global populations.”

"The Legislature built the Workforce Investment Trust Fund because we believe every Massachusetts resident deserves a real pathway to a well-paying job, and our employers deserve a workforce that enables their businesses to grow," said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "These investments are doing just that, and I applaud Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for making them happen."

The FY27 Workforce Investment Trust Fund will support the following workforce development initiatives through the Workforce Skills Cabinet:

 

Talent Attraction & Retention in Key Sectors

  • Pathmaker: Based off of the Life Sciences Pathmaker model, expands employer-driven workforce pathways through three new programs focused on high-growth industries including climatetech, manufacturing and defense, AI and technology, connecting employers, training providers, and job seekers.

  • Internships: Supports paid internships in life sciences, climatetech, defense, AI, and technology to help students gain industry experience and strengthen the pipeline of talent into Massachusetts employers.

  • Expanding Nursing Preceptor Training: Increases the capacity of healthcare systems to train new nurses through enhanced preceptor support, helping address workforce shortages and expand access to clinical training.

  • Nurse Retention Initiative: Supports strategies that improve nurse retention, strengthen workforce stability, reduce turnover, and maintain access to quality healthcare.

  • SHIELD Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Workforce Program: Builds a workforce with expertise in Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification requirements, helping defense contractors meet federal compliance standards while strengthening cybersecurity talent.

 

Open Career Pathways for All

  • Focused AI Skills Training: Provides workers and job seekers with practical AI skills that are increasingly needed across industries, helping residents prepare for the changing economy.

  • Re-entry Career Alignment and Sector Training: Connects individuals returning from incarceration with workforce training and employment opportunities in high-demand industries to support successful reentry.

  • Workforce Pell Industry Credential Training: Expands access to industry-recognized credential programs that prepare residents for in-demand occupations and meet employer workforce needs.

  • Registered Apprenticeships: Expands paid earn-and-learn opportunities that combine classroom instruction with on-the-job training, creating pathways into high-demand careers.

  • Community Workforce Program: Supports community-based organizations that provide workforce training, career services, and employment supports for underserved populations.

 

Supporting Immigration to Massachusetts

  • Global Talent for Employers Pilot: Helps Massachusetts employers attract and retain international talent, including highly skilled workers and recent graduates, to meet workforce needs.

  • Massachusetts Advancing Pathways for International Talent: Helps internationally trained professionals navigate credential recognition and licensing so they can work in careers that match their education and experience.

  • Refugee and Immigrant Skills Training for Employment Pathways: Provides workforce training and employment supports that help refugees and immigrants build skills, connect with employers, and enter the Massachusetts workforce.

Collectively, these investments will expand employer-connected training, internships, apprenticeships and career pathways that prepare Massachusetts residents for careers in high-demand industries while helping employers recruit, train and retain the talent they need to grow. Grant recipients and award amounts will be announced in the coming fiscal year.

About CommCorp

Commonwealth Corporation is a quasi-public agency in Massachusetts overseen by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Our mission is to foster workforce equity by delivering innovative and collaborative professional development solutions that help diverse communities and employers succeed. We administer and deliver a wide range of publicly and privately funded grant programs to create or expand education and training capacity for in-demand occupations. For more information, please contact us.