Daily News

State Awards $2.4 Million in Workforce-training Grants

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration awarded more than $2.4 million in workforce-training fund grants to 25 companies to train current or newly hired workers. This round of grant funding will help train 2,162 workers, and is expected to create 263 new jobs.

“We have made workforce development a priority for Massachusetts residents to get the skills they need to prosper and for companies to have a talented pool of workers to expand,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “The training and career-building skills provided by these investments will help bolster economic prosperity and success throughout the Commonwealth.”

The Workforce Training Fund assists Massachusetts businesses in becoming more competitive by investing in the skills of their workers. The Workforce Training Fund is also a key resource to thousands of Massachusetts workers who wish to advance their skills to achieve promotional opportunities and higher wages. It also acts as a catalyst for job creation.

“The Workforce Training Fund is a vital tool for many companies to upgrade employees’ skills and increase productivity,” Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said. “The training helps both the workers and the companies compete in a global environment.”

The Workforce Training Fund provides grants of up to $250,000 to companies in Massachusetts, to pay for workforce training over a two-year period. Grants are awarded to projects that will upgrade workers’ skills, increase productivity, and enhance the competitiveness of Massachusetts businesses. Grants are matched dollar-for-dollar by the award recipients.

The Workforce Training Fund is a program of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and administered by Commonwealth Corp., a quasi-public state agency that fosters partnerships between industry, education, and workforce organizations to strengthen skills for youth and adults in order to help them thrive in the state’s economy.

Locally, Freedom Credit Union in Springfield was awarded $126,175 to train 133 workers. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership was awarded $151,016 to train 93 workers, with nine additional jobs expected by 2018. This grant was awarded to a consortium of businesses, including Universal Plastics Corp. of Holyoke, Advanced Welding of Springfield, Duval Precision Grinding of Chicopee, Metronic of Chicopee, and Millitech Inc. of Northampton.