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Safe & Successful Youth Initiative Yields Positive Results

An evaluation conducted by the independent American Institute of Research (AIR) of Massachusetts Safe & Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) found that over the last two years SSYI engaged cities experiences 139 fewer violent crimes on average per month compared to non-SSYI municipalities.

Responding to Health Care Industry Changes

Health care employers have been critical workforce development partners over the past fifteen years.  Through the ups and downs of economic cycles, the health care industry has been steadily hiring, with many good jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree.

Malden High School Accepts 25 Students into New YouthWorks Plus Program

We had the pleasure of joining Malden High School staff, faculty, and students, Malden Mayor Gary Christenson and the Metro North Regional Employment Board to celebrate the acceptance of 25 Malden High School students into the new YouthWorks Plus program.

Preparing Tomorrow’s Talent Today

We are in the midst of a youth employment crisis.  Employment among teens in Massachusetts has dropped by nearly half since the late 1990s, from 54 percent in 1999 to just 27 percent in 2013. About half of today’s high school students have not had any job experience, leaving these young people at a significant disadvantage in the future.

$8.2 Million Awarded for Employee Training

The latest round of Workforce Training Fund Program grants was announced during a visit to United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS), a grant recipient. UPS will use their $200,000 grant to train 600 Massachusetts-based employees and create 50 new jobs. The grant will help UPS implement software designed to help drivers optimize delivery routes and the placement of packages within delivery vehicles to maximize efficiency.

Healthcare Payment & Delivery Reform Presentation Recap

Payment Reform in Massachusetts: Impact & Opportunities for the Healthcare Workforce was held on July 9, 2014 at Salem State University. Jessica Larochelle from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation presented an overview of the forces driving payment and delivery system reform, payment and delivery system reform efforts in the state, and the implications for the workforce.

$2 Million Awarded to 51 Healthcare Providers

On April 3, 2014 Governor Deval Patrick and Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rachel Kaprielian announced the 51 Health Care Workforce Transformation Fund Planning Grants at Lynn Community Health Center. The Planning Grants will help healthcare providers develop a training strategy to address workforce challenges caused by the rapidly evolving healthcare industry.

The Boston Foundation & Cummings Foundation Award $200,000 for YouthWorks Plus

Commonwealth Corporation was awarded two $100,000 grants from The Boston Foundation and Cummings Foundation to support the design, development, and testing of YouthWorks Plus – an effort to transform Massachusetts’ summer jobs program for low-income youth into a multi-year sequence of work experiences that will increase long-term employment outcomes for participating youth.