State Awards More Than $22 Million to Connect More Than 6,500 Youth with Jobs

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll administration announced more than $22 million in funding grants to hire 6,540 youth in summer and year-round employment through the state’s YouthWorks program for the 2025-26 program year. The YouthWorks program provides teens and young adults with hands-on work experience and soft-skill development in partnership with MassHire regional workforce boards, community-based organizations, and employers statewide.

Since January 2023, more than 13,000 youth and young adults have been placed in a job or received job training through the YouthWorks program. Program participants have been placed in jobs in industries such as education, healthcare, information technology, camp counselors, and arts and communications. Participants also receive vital soft-skills training, including leadership, project management, and customer service, as well as workforce supports to reduce barriers to employment, including transportation.

“YouthWorks provides foundational opportunities for young people to obtain real-world experiences, new skills, and paychecks as they explore future careers,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “YouthWorks is part of our administration’s commitment to improving educational and job opportunities for young people to set them on a path to success and meet the needs of our employers.”

For summer 2025 and school year 2026, 16 regional grants will receive a total of $22.68 million in YouthWorks funding. The grants fund paid, short-term work placements throughout the year at public, nonprofit, and private work sites with the highest engagement during summer months. Funding also supports training for participants to learn core soft skills, mentorship, and the opportunity to work side-by-side with professionals in areas of their interest. Additionally, participants will be guided on how to further their education and career pathways.

Three of the grants are in Western Mass.:

• Berkshire Training and Employment Inc. will work to introduce different trades to youth, including automotive and welding, and also provide certifications in EMT, LPN, and paraprofessionals ($584,200 to engage 111 youth).

• The Franklin Hampshire Employment and Training Consortium, with partnerships including Greenfield Community College and MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center, will work with youth participants for workforce training programs for credential attainment in industries such as Early childhood education, certified nursing assistant, advanced manufacturing, and HVAC technician ($526,700 to engage 170 youth).

• MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board Inc. will focus on programmatic additions to its workshops and soft-skills curriculum that center on renewable energy and climate change in addition to its existing focuses on education, camp counseling, and afterschool programs ($2,953,200 to engage 953 youth).

“YouthWorks plays a vital role in supporting youth, local communities, and businesses across Hampden County. It offers a powerful opportunity to shape the region’s future workforce by equipping participants with essential job skills, career-exploration experiences, and hands-on work opportunities,” said Peter Farkas, president and CEO of MassHire Hampden Workforce Board. “The program is especially critical to the economic vitality of Hampden County’s four gateway cities — Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, and Westfield — as well as neighboring communities.”