Reducing Barriers to Employment

Earlier this month, the Healey-Driscoll administration launched the Massachusetts Workforce Skills Fund, a pilot stipend program to provide financial support for eligible unemployed and underemployed Massachusetts residents enrolled in job training, including the Career Technical Initiative and Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund programs.

Administered by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development in partnership with Commonwealth Corp., the Workforce Skills Fund is designed to reduce barriers to job training and employment by providing financial support for eligible trainees and also attract and retain untapped talent pursuing skills and credentials for in-demand occupations in manufacturing, construction, healthcare and human services, and more.

The Massachusetts Workforce Skills Fund builds on strategies outlined in the administration’s Massachusetts Workforce Agenda, titled “Meeting the Moment to Attract, Retain, and Develop a Future Workforce,” released earlier this year. The document outlines the administration’s vision, goals, and strategies to support workforce development statewide, and recognizes a stipend program as a resource to attract and retain talent by providing greater means to pursue and persist in job-training programs that ultimately lead to employment outcomes.

Stipends are awarded to participants based on training duration and issued upon completion of three milestones. Participants in training programs that are fewer than three months will receive $3,000, and participants in training programs longer than three months will receive $5,000. Stipends are issued following the first two weeks of training, at the completion of the training program, and upon post-training employment.

“This new program through the Massachusetts Workforce Skills Fund is a meaningful step toward eliminating barriers to employment and building a strong and inclusive workforce,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “By addressing financial obstacles, this initiative will increase access for more individuals to succeed, compete, and contribute to our growing workforce.”

Gov. Maura Healey

“This new program through the Massachusetts Workforce Skills Fund is a meaningful step toward eliminating barriers to employment and building a strong and inclusive workforce. By addressing financial obstacles, this initiative will increase access for more individuals to succeed, compete, and contribute to our growing workforce.”

Added Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, “as we support economic opportunity and mobility for Massachusetts residents, this new stipend program is an actionable approach to empower unemployed and underemployed individuals who we need active in our workforce. By offering this resource, our administration will maximize the labor potential of untapped talent, supporting both labor productivity and addressing larger social inequities within our workforce.”

Targeted Impact

The Workforce Skills Fund is being implemented for two specific, pre-existing programs that focus on unemployed and underemployed workers: the Career Technical Initiative (CTI) and the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF). The stipends are a fixed amount of flexible dollars provided directly to individuals who will enroll in either of the two eligible approved training programs.

WCTF and CTI programs are designed to attract unemployed and underemployed workers. Yet, an array of barriers may hinder participants and prospective participants from enrolling, completing training, and entering the labor market, such as costs for childcare, transportation, and digital equipment. The stipend program through the Massachusetts Workforce Skills Fund aims to address these and other challenges, facilitating greater access to workforce opportunities.

“As Massachusetts strengthens its world-class workforce, we must provide a world-class support system with greater intentionality to reduce barriers to employment and support persistence and success in job-training programs,” Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones said. “By launching he Massachusetts Workforce Skills Fund and initiating this stipend program, the Healey-Driscoll administration is teaming up with training providers and proven workforce programs to further attract and retain untapped talent and provide added resources aimed at improving outcomes and opportunities for more job seekers in Massachusetts.”

Lauren Jones

“As Massachusetts strengthens its world-class workforce, we must provide a world-class support system with greater intentionality to reduce barriers to employment and support persistence and success in job-training programs.”

Molly Jacobson, president and CEO of Commonwealth Corp., said her organization is excited to see the tangible impact the Massachusetts Workforce Skills Fund will have on job seekers’ lives across the Commonwealth. “This initiative not only provides essential support for people who need it, but also encourages participants to seize new opportunities for their future.”

Meanwhile, Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) Commissioner Jeff McCue said the Workforce Skills Fund will be an instrumental resource for clients to utilize as they strive to reach their career goals and full employment potential, by providing flexible dollars that will help individuals and families overcome barriers to participating in the workforce.

“The Department of Transitional Assistance currently serves one in six Massachusetts residents with food and cash assistance,” he noted. “In addition to providing essential resources to the most vulnerable people in the Commonwealth, DTA also aims to connect clients with meaningful employment to improve economic mobility for families and ensure their long-term success.”

Statements of Support

Aisha Francis, president and CEO of Franklin Cummings Tech in Boston, called the Massachusetts Workforce Skills Fund a crucial resource for the Commonwealth’s technical and trade workforce.

“Stipends make it possible for individuals to complete high-quality training and secure jobs,” she added. “In partnership with the Workforce Competitive Trust Fund and JVS, Franklin Cummings Tech sees the positive impact of financial support on program outcomes. I applaud the Commonwealth’s leadership for recognizing this opportunity and acting quickly to innovate.”

Paul Bello, director of Career and Community Development at South Shore Vocational Technical High School in Hanover, noted that the school will train hundreds of veterans and unemployed or underemployed residents on the South Shore to prepare them for fulfilling jobs in carpentry, manufacturing, landscaping, welding, hospitality, automotive, and HVAC, and looks forward to assisting residents as they embark on new careers with new skills.

“There is great confidence that this program will make an immediate positive impact in people’s lives and will help produce vital members of the workforce in the South Shore area and around the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, he added.

Meanwhile, Susan Almono, director of Grants and Workforce Development at Greater Lawrence Technical School in Andover, noted that the school has provided adult workforce-development training to hundreds of area residents through the Career Technical Initiative.

“We are proud to facilitate entry into lucrative technical careers. However, often candidates can’t take advantage of this opportunity because they need to work rather than increase their skills, in order to pay the bills. We’re thrilled with the new Mass Workforce Skills Fund stipend program and the impact it will have on the lives of area residents. Trainees will be sustained through training and have access to career ladders to stability.”