La Oficina Ejecutiva de Trabajo y Desarrollo de la Fuerza Laboral anunció recientemente que Massachusetts la tasa de desempleo cayó a 2.8%, the lowest rate of unemployment since January 2001. An unemployment rate of 2.8% is great news for the Commonwealth and for job seekers looking for a new job or better job. However, it presents challenges to businesses struggling to meet their talent needs, particularly in the face of an mano de obra que envejece that is retiring or may retire in the near future. Tight labor markets create opportunities for workforce development and education professionals to create innovative partnerships with industry to prepare Massachusetts residents who are underemployed for better jobs and residents who are unemployed for their next job or first job. It is also an opportunity to bring people back into the labor force who have been disconnected from work for an extended period of time.   This “sector strategy” will help to grow the labor force and to provide opportunities to populations that have not been able to connect to the strong economy. In December, on behalf of Secretary Ronald Walker, II and the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, Commonwealth Corporation released two requests for qualifications, seeking partnerships that will train and support Massachusetts residents with limited or no attachment to the labor force for jobs that are in demand. These funding opportunities target populations that have faced high rates of chronic unemployment, as identified by a Task Force created by Governor Baker in 2015. The Task Force focused on African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, individuals with disabilities and Gulf War Era II Veterans, populations with unemployment rates ranging from 7 percent to 20 percent. This approach to preparing Massachusetts residents for work builds partnerships of community-based organizations, multiple employers, workforce organizations and educational institutions that will design training that meets the hiring requirements of specific businesses with immediate hiring needs. These partnerships will include organizations that have experience working with individuals with limited labor force attachment and connecting individuals to the supports necessary to ensure that they are able to complete training and succeed in the workplace. The partnerships’ programs will be funded through the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund and the Health Care Workforce Transformation Fund, consistent with the demand-driven strategy prioritized by Governor Baker and Secretary Ronald Walker, II. We know this approach works. Our last WCTF grant round, Abordar la brecha de habilidades intermedias, finalizado en junio de 2016. Este programa otorgó $4.5 millones a 15 organizaciones para capacitar y ubicar a desempleados y subempleados que buscan empleo entre 2013-2016. Nuestros resultados son los siguientes:
  • Se inscribieron 903 buscadores de empleo y 817 (90%) completaron la capacitación;
  • 670 personas fueron colocadas en puestos de trabajo en 447 empresas; esto es 82% de graduados y 74% de participantes, en comparación con un inscripción nacional a la colocación tasa de 56% para programas similares; y,
  • 83% de ellos fueron retenidos durante al menos 6 meses en comparación con un promedio nacional de 64% y ganaban un promedio de $15.02.
Ya sea que enfrentemos una economía fuerte o desafiante, estamos comprometidos a invertir en asociaciones con la industria, la educación y la fuerza laboral para satisfacer las necesidades de las empresas y los trabajadores en todo MA. Celebramos el éxito de Massachusetts en la conexión de más trabajadores con el empleo dentro de las empresas de nuestro estado, y continuaremos trabajando para apoyar los programas de capacitación impulsados por la demanda que logran resultados de colocación sólidos.