Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $3.5 Million in New Grants
By DJ Harding
The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced $3.5 million new Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success Grants for seven initiatives across the state.
The grants, funded through the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund and distributed by the Commonwealth Corporation, aim to increase access to well-paying jobs for residents facing employment barriers and improve the competitive stature of Massachusetts businesses by enhancing worker skills and productivity.
Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones joined local officials, representatives of the Commonwealth Corporation, and program participants to announce the awards at Greater Lawrence Technical School.
The school received $369,000 to provide training and placement services for 48 unemployed and underemployed participants in Medical Assistant positions, in partnership with Greater Lawrence Family Health Center and Beth Israel Lahey Health.
“These grants will connect Massachusetts residents who typically face higher barriers to obtaining employment with the vital training and skills they need to create a meaningful career pathway, while also helping to ensure that employers have access to the skilled talent they need, making the match between skills training and labor demand is critical for supporting our workers, employers, economy and competitiveness.” Said Governor Healy.
Lieutenant Governor Driscoll said “These organizations are supporting our workforce by attracting those who are unemployed, underemployed, or experiencing barriers to employment and providing the necessary skills they need to succeed, these grants not only help connect people with job training in critical industries but helps expand our skilled talent pool for employers.”
The grant recipients and how much they received were The Health and Home Care Training of New England, awarded $350,000.
The Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, awarded $1,000,000.
The Holyoke Health Center, awarded $850,600 and The Greater Lawrence Technical School, awarded $369,000.
The Massachusetts Restaurant Association Education Foundation, awarded $250,000 along with The Massachusetts Restaurant Association, awarded $160,000.
The final receipt was the BEST Hospitality Training, awarded $500,000.
The grants are part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s strategic investment in the Massachusetts workforce by developing programs that support individuals facing barriers to employment, such as lack of formal schooling, language barriers, or past involvement with the criminal justice system.
