State Awards $15.9 Million to Train and Place More Than 2,100 Workers

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll administration announced $15.9 million in workforce-development grant funding for 22 initiatives across Massachusetts, representing partnerships with employers, training providers, and regional collaborators. This latest round of workforce-development funding will train, upskill, and provide job placement for 2,182 workers for in-demand occupations in healthcare, human services, life sciences, culinary arts, and more.

The 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 Corp. through the state’s Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund. 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.

“These Workforce Success Grants will provide hundreds of Massachusetts residents with access to quality job training and connect our employers with the skilled workforce they need to do business,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “Recruiting and retaining a strong and diverse workforce is key to our economic growth and competitiveness.”

Lauren Jones, secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, added that, “by investing in these collaborative partnerships, we are increasing access, opportunities, and outcomes for Massachusetts residents to train, upskill, and compete in our growing workforce.”

Three of the 22 awards will go to organizations in Western Mass.:

• Bay Path University will receive $1,768,036 to provide training and placement services to 144 unemployed and underemployed participants for healthcare assistant, medical assistant, and residential support professional positions. The university will partner with Cooley Dickinson Hospital and Toward Independent Learning and Living Inc.

“We are very excited about the opportunity this grant offers to build a robust collaboration with Cooley Dickinson Hospital, TILL Inc., and our other partners, which include the MassHire workforce boards and career centers in the Pioneer Valley and Northeast planning regions, Springfield Works!, and the United Way of Pioneer Valley,” Bay Path President Sandy Doran said. “With our focus on unemployed or underemployed individuals, our vision is to accelerate their entry into upwardly mobile career and educational pathways in the healthcare and human-services fields through entry-level healthcare assistant positions, thereby addressing critical workforce shortages in the regions we serve.”

• Holyoke Community College will receive $1,564,732 to lead a consortium that includes Berkshire Community College, Greenfield Community College, Roxbury Community College, and Springfield Technical Community College to provide training and placement services to 330 participants for paraprofessional educator roles. Additional partners include Holyoke Public Schools, Central Berkshire Regional School District, Springfield Public Schools, William Monroe Trotter Elementary School & Henry L. Higginson Inclusion School, Mohawk Trail Regional School, Mattahunt Elementary School, and Greenfield Public Schools.

• SnapChef in Springfield and Dorchester will receive $500,000 to provide training and placement services to 168 unemployed and underemployed participants for culinary professional positions. The company will partner with Loophole Brewing, Fresh Food Generation, and Daily Table.

“Receiving the WCTF Donnelly grant from Commonwealth Corporation is a transformative moment for Snapchef, Snapchef Foundation, and the communities we serve,” Snapchef founder and CEO Todd Snopkowski said. “This funding will allow us to expand our Fast Track hands-on culinary training program, equipping individuals with the skills employers need and providing a clear pathway to stable and rewarding careers. Workforce development is at the heart of what we do, as it not only empowers individuals, but also strengthens families and communities. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to make a significant impact and look forward to the positive changes it will bring.”