Gov. Charlie Baker said creation and expansion of training programs in high-demand industries, such as healthcare, education, manufacturing, information technology and cybersecurity are among the targeted goals.
Recipients will include Holyoke Community College, Springfield Technical Community College, Greenfield Community College and Berkshire Community College. All 15 schools in the state community college system will receive equal awards.
The remainder of the $15 million funding will be allocated to community colleges based on local student enrollment demand for the training programs.
Approximately 1,500 individuals will receive specialized training at no cost. About one third of the grant funding will be allocated toward building capacity in training programs for the healthcare industry, which is in high demand across Massachusetts.
The funding was included in An Act Relative to Immediate COVID-19 Recovery Needs, which was signed by Baker in December.
”These grants complement our administration’s ongoing work to address the skills gap by building additional training capacity at all the Commonwealth’s community colleges so people have opportunities to gain hands-on skills and knowledge in growing industries. It is crucial that we provide more residents with quality training options and eliminate the gaps between what skills the Massachusetts workforce has, and what skills employers need,” Baker said.
”We are so grateful to our community college partners who know that education is a lifelong journey and want to help provide individuals in our communities with the tools they need to achieve success in the Massachusetts’ workforce. These grants will enable more people to transition to new jobs in high-demand occupations where employers are hungry for talent,” Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito added.
Bunker Hill Community College and the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC) will jointly administer the grant program with the Executive Office of Education, and in consultation with the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the regional Workforce Investment Boards.
The training programs will strive to help populations who have traditionally experienced higher rates of unemployment and barriers to employment identified by the Black Advisory Commission and the Latino Advisory Commission, with priority given to those who are unemployed and underemployed.
“One of the goals of these grants is to help address shifting economic conditions that occurred for many residents brought on by the COVID-19 crisis, and persistent racial inequities and workforce challenges that existed in the Commonwealth before the pandemic. We anticipate these new training opportunities will make it easier for more people to move into high-demand, higher paying careers,” Education Secretary James Peyser said.
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