The Healey-Driscoll Administration recently announced $19.4 million in Workforce Training Fund Program (WTFP) Awards serving 187 businesses statewide. The grants, distributed by the Commonwealth Corporation, aims to address business productivity and competitiveness by providing funding to Massachusetts businesses to train current and newly hired employees. Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones made the announcement during remarks at the Worcester Chamber of Commerce. Central Massachusetts businesses received more than $2 million in grants to train 1,633 employees. “Massachusetts is a great place to live, work, and innovate. Our workforce and our business community are the heartbeat of our communities and economy,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These grants support both workers and businesses by providing the resources needed to help build a pipeline of skilled workers, allowing our businesses to remain competitive and to grow and expand.” “Investing in organizations that want to retain their current workers and provide them with the skills they need to succeed is a recipe for success,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “These grants help expand our skilled talent pool for employers, strengthens our competitiveness, and allows our economy to prosper.” The Workforce Training Fund Program grants are part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s strategic investment to retain and upskill existing talent in Massachusetts’ current workforce. Grants announced today have served as a resource awarded by Commonwealth Corporation to businesses in regions statewide throughout the calendar year. “As we drive economic competitiveness throughout Massachusetts, we need to invest in our workforce to promoting existing workers to build the skills to grow a career and for employers to thrive,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones. “Workforce training fund grants are a critical tool in our toolbox for employers to upskill their workforce in vital areas such as ESOL, technology, DEI training, management, and many other areas that supports professional development and training for Massachusetts workers.” Workforce Training Fund Program grants are available for businesses of all sizes, with the greatest use applied by small to medium-sized businesses. The grants provide instruction on a variety of skills, including ESOL, project management, software and IT, and machine set-up and operation. Businesses can apply for two types of grants through the Workforce Training Fund Program: 1) Express program, which provides fast and flexible access to grant-funded training so businesses can respond quickly to change and emerging needs; and 2) General Program, which are typically used for large-scale training. Since fiscal year 2022, the Express and General programs have served more than 23,300 trainees and supported more than 1,300 businesses. The full list of the grant recipients, totaling $19,474,544 to train 12,010 individuals can be found here. Supportive Quotes  “At the Chamber, we hear time and time again that above all, our member businesses are in need of a quality workforce, regardless of the size or sector. The grant announced by Secretary Jones will offer the much-needed resources to our Massachusetts businesses to fund training for current and newly hired employees.”- Timothy Murray, President and CEO, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce “AmCon is thrilled to receive this grant award, which enables our firm to provide employees with growth opportunities in areas of leadership, diversity, and energy efficient building. This initiative positions us for sustained growth while nurturing in-house talent, contributing to a more inclusive workplace.” — Kara Cronin, Director of People & Culture, American Construction Corporation “The Workforce Training Fund helped my business fast track technical training for a group of new employees.  This in turn helped us meet customer demands, positively impacted our quality ratings, and drove revenue up much faster than anticipated. The Commonwealth Corporation was extremely helpful in guiding us through the entire grant process. Overall, it was a great success for Hansen Aerospace.” – Eric D’Orio, CEO, Hansen Aerospace, LLC