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The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced $4.2 million in workforce development grant funding for nine initiatives across Massachusetts, representing partnerships with employers, training providers, and regional collaborators to train, upskill, and provide job placement for 621 workers for in-demand occupations in health care, life sciences, technology, construction, and more. As part of the grants, $250,000 will support planning grants for training providers.

Today’s announced investments in Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success grants are funded by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and administered by Commonwealth Corporation through the state’s Fundo Fiduciário de Competitividade da Força de Trabalho. Each awarded grant aims to close the skills gap, increase access to well-paying jobs for unemployed and underemployed residents, and strengthen productivity and workforce needs among employers in regions throughout Massachusetts. Workforce Success grants fund job training and job placement for untapped talent and also upskilling programs for incumbent workers. Among the nine awarded grants, five grants are also incorporating English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in planned job training—an effort to reduce employment barriers such as language that some jobseekers experience.

“These Workforce Success Grants are designed to improve access to good-paying jobs and long-term career success for all Massachusetts residents,” said Governor Maura Healey. “By investing in the skill development for underemployed and unemployed jobseekers, we are unlocking their potential, meeting the needs of employers, and strengthening the competitiveness of our workforce and regional economies.”

“Through our workforce development investments like the Workforce Success Grants, we bring employers to the table to ensure we are training our jobseekers with the skills and credentials that they need,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “By forging strategic partnerships with employers and workforce partners, we are teaming up to effectively serve our residents, workers, and employers.”

Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones announced the grants at the MassHire North Shore Workforce Board in Salem. Among the nine grantees, MassHire Salem plans to train, upskill, and provide employment for 100 unemployed or underemployed participants for Manual and CNC Machining positions.

“As we develop talent, it is important that we build partnerships to reach unemployed and underemployed jobseekers and provide the necessary job training to close skills gaps and prepare workers in-demand roles for growing industries statewide,” said Secretary Lauren Jones of Labor and Workforce Development. “The Healey-Driscoll Administration appreciates teaming up with employers and workforce partners to create meaningful career pathways for jobseekers in communities across Massachusetts.”

In addition to the $4 million investment in the Workforce Success Grants, Commonwealth Corporation also awarded approximately $250,000 in total to six partnerships to fund planning and program design activities that may lead to the future implementation of workforce development job training and employment opportunities.

“Commonwealth Corporation is proud to support these workforce initiatives on behalf of the Healey-Driscoll Administration. These investments reflect the Commonwealth’s commitment to fostering meaningful collaborations between employers, training providers, and community partners to close the gap in workforce development.”  said Molly Jacobson, President and CEO of Commonwealth Corporation. We commend the grantees for their dedicated efforts in delivering essential training and creating pathways towards upward mobility for Massachusetts’ families”.

Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success

The following is a list of the nine grant recipients receiving approximately $4 million to train and hire 621 individuals throughout Massachusetts:

1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund, Quincy: $500,000 
1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund will provide training and placement services, including ESOL training, to prepare 54 un/underemployed participants for Personal Care Attendant roles. They will partner with Essex Group Management, Next Step Healthcare, and the PCA Workforce Council.

Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology, Boston: $333,663 
Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology will provide training and placement services, to prepare 30 un/underemployed participants for HVAC&R Technician, HVAC&R Apprenticeships, HVAC&R Service Technician, HVAC mechanic, HVAC Installer, Maintenance Tech, or Maintenance Supervisor positions. They will partner with Johnson Controls, Inc. and Bozzuto Group.

Building Pathways Inc., Greater Boston: $500,000  
Building Pathways Inc. will provide training and placement services to prepare 102 un/underemployed participants for roles as Construction/Boilermakers, Bricklayers, Carpenters, Electricians, Elevator Constructors, Heat and Frost Insulators, Ironworkers, Laborers, Millwrights, Operating Engineers, Painters & Allied Trades, Pipefitters, Roofers, Sheet Metal Workers, Sprinkler Fitters, and Teamsters. They will partner with American Plumbing & Heating, Barletta Engineering, Bond Civil & Utility Construction, Inc., J.C. Cannistraro LLC, Consigli, Dimeo, Hub Foundation, Marr Scaffolding Co., McCusker-Gill, McDonald Electric, Phoenix Bay State Construction Co., Shawmut, Skanska, Suffolk, Sullivan & McLaughlin, TG Gallagher, Turner, Ultra Services, and WL French.

Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, Brockton: $500,000 
Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston will provide training and placement services, including ESOL training, to prepare 81 un/underemployed participants for Nurse Assistant and Home Health Aide positions. They will partner with ComForCare Home Care and Linden Ponds by Erickson Senior Living.

MassHire North Shore Workforce Board, Salem: $500,000
MassHire North Shore Workforce Board will provide training and placement services to prepare 100 un/underemployed participants and incumbent workers for Manual and CNC Machining positions. They will partner with Harmonic Drive, Innovent Technologies, Microline Surgical, and Krohne.

Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, Inc., Gloucester: $500,000
Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, Inc. will provide training and placement services to prepare 96 un/underemployed participants for Lab Technician, Lab Technologist, and Biological Lab Technician positions. They will partner with the Institute for Protein Innovations and the Broad Institute.

Metro North Regional Employment Board, Cambridge: $500,000
Metro North Regional Employment Board will provide training and advancement services to prepare 60 incumbent worker participants for First line Supervisor and Group Leader positions. They will partner with Boston Centerless, Straumann Group, Innovent Technologies, and Customs Group.

Springside Rehabilitation & Skilled Care Center, Pittsfield: $234,500 
Springside Rehabilitation & Skilled Care Center will provide training and placement services to prepare 40 un/underemployed participants for CNA positions. They will partner with Craneville Place Skilled Nursing Home & Rehabilitation and Springside Skilled Nursing Home & Rehabilitation.

Tech Foundry, Inc., Springfield: $500,000
Tech Foundry, Inc. will provide training and placement services, including ESOL training, to prepare 68 un/underemployed worker participants for Tech Support positions such as Computer User Support Technician, Technology Support Specialist, Rapid Response Agent, and Case Agent. They will partner with MassMutual, Baystate Health, Paragus Strategic IT, and Mount Holyoke College.

Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund Planning Grants

Additionally, six grantees were awarded Program Design Grants, totaling approximately $250,000 to plan and develop workforce training and upskilling programs throughout the Commonwealth:

Brookline Community Mental Health Center, Inc., Brookline: $49,976  
Brookline Community Mental Health Center, Inc. will conduct program planning and design activities to prepare un/underemployed workers or incumbent workers for Behavioral Health Care Manager and Community Health Worker positions. They will partner with the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers, Accelerate the Future, and the Metro South/West Workforce Board.

Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Lawrence: $32,494 
Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc. will conduct program planning and design activities to prepare un/underemployed workers for Personal Care Assistant positions. They will partner with Best Home Health care, Inc., NDI Healthcare LLC, NILP Disability Services, Notre Dame Education Center, and MassHire Merrimack valley Career Center.

Health & Home Care Training of New England, Brockton: $47,857  
Health & Home Care Training of New England will conduct program planning and design activities to prepare un/underemployed workers for Certified Nurse Assistant positions. They will partner with On Call Staffing.

Next Leadership Development Corporation, Boston: $50,000
Next Leadership Development Corporation will conduct program planning and design activities to prepare un/underemployed workers and incumbent workers for Community Engagement Coordinator, Community Engagement Specialist, Community Engagement Manager, Outreach Coordinator, Outreach Specialist, and Outreach Manager positions in Climate Resiliency settings. They will partner with All Aces, Inc. and Mystic River Watershed Association.

North Shore Community Action Programs, Inc., Peabody: $19,204
North Shore Community Action Programs, Inc. will conduct program planning and design activities to prepare un/underemployed workers or incumbent workers for Home Health Aide, Supportive Home Care Aide, Personal Care Assistant, Homemaker, and Companion positions. They will partner with the NSCAP Home Care Program.

Open Sky Community Services, Inc., Worcester:  $50,000.00  
Open Sky Community Services, Inc. will conduct program planning and design activities to prepare un/underemployed workers and incumbent workers for human services positions, such as Residential Counselors and Clinicians. They will partner with Seven Hills Foundation, the Health Foundation of Central MA, and MassHire Central Region Workforce Board.

Statements of Support

Senator Joan B. Lovely (D-Salem): “Programs like the Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success Grant help current and future workers build lifelong skills that will advance their careers and bolster the Commonwealth’s workforce. Thank you to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and their partnership with Commonwealth Corporation for the effort to strengthen the Commonwealth’s workforce.”

Dora Camara, Regional Director, 1199SEIU TUF: “We are grateful for the Commonwealth’s continued commitment to investing in the healthcare workforce, particularly during a time when staffing shortages and burnout are critical challenges facing caregivers. This investment enables the 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund (TUF), in partnership with 1199SEIU, to expand our work with employers and provide essential support, such as English language and Computer classes for newly arrived immigrants. Together, we are helping to recruit and retain a diverse, culturally competent healthcare workforce that meets the needs of our communities and ensures the future of care.”

Tricia Canavan, Chief Executive Officer, Tech Foundry: “Tech Foundry works at the intersection of workforce and economic development, connecting low-to-moderate income and underrepresented people to technical training, professional development, coaching, internships, and job placement, so they can access living-wage jobs. Their skills help create a thriving economy, as employers have access to new pools of talent to support their business needs. We are honored to receive funding from the Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, which is critical to our supporting our work in creating a stronger Commonwealth, where equitable opportunity is accessible to all.”

Maryanne Ham, Executive Director, MassHire Metro North Workforce Development Board: “The Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium (NAMC) is a successful collaborative partnership led by the MassHire Metro North, Merrimack Valley, North Shore, and Greater Lowell workforce boards with Metro North taking the lead on this grant.  NAMC is excited to use this funding to build registered apprenticeships in manufacturing providing a real-world, hands-on dimension to the training experience. These apprenticeships are valuable to employees as they receive training at the community colleges and on-the-job training and mentorship opportunities where they work.”

Ed O’Sullivan, Executive Director, MassHire North Shore Workforce Board: “The Advanced Manufacturing Training Expansion Program (AMTEP) at MassHire is a transformative initiative that not only equips participants with essential technical skills but also provides them with real opportunities to thrive in the growing advanced manufacturing sector on the North Shore. By engaging and collaborating with local employers, educational institutions, private foundations, and community partners, the workforce system is making a permanent impact on this ecosystem. AMTEP ensures that its graduates are prepared to meet the demands of today’s workforce while unlocking manufacturing career pathways that offer long-term stability and growth. This critical grant will allow AMTEP to train and place over 100 individuals over the next two years to help meet the North Shore’s ongoing need for skilled manufacturing workers far into the future.”