Sustained Funding Needed For Training To Meet State’s Skilled Labor Needs

 

Photo credit: Commonwealth Corporation

According to a recent survey, two thirds of employers in Massachusetts have trouble finding workers with the right skills. That’s not surprising when you consider that one in three adults in our state have only a high school diploma or less. Not to mention, nearly one third of the state’s labor force is over the age of 55 and will be retiring soon. These are among the realities that combine to create a perfect storm, threatening the stability our statewide economy.

The good news is that Massachusetts has two funding mechanisms to help address these issues: the Workforce Training Fund (WTF), a $22M fund supported by employer-backed contributions from Unemployment Insurance for incumbent worker training, and the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF), a proven sector-based training model that has served hundreds of employers with qualified talent. The bad news: funding for both has decreased over the years, and only one of these has a sustained annual funding stream.

Report Shows Efforts to Improve Frontline Supervision Improves Worker and Patient Conditions in Long-Term Care

Read the original press release here.

According to the National Fund for Workforce Solutions’ new report, Improving Supervision for Frontline Jobs: A Massachusetts Case Study of Skilled Nursing Facilities, efforts to improve frontline supervision can improve the quality of entry-level jobs in long-term care resulting in higher retention of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) and better care for patients.   Working with the Massachusetts Senior Care Association and SkillWorks, the report examined findings from five skilled nursing facilities that implemented the PHI Coaching Approach to supervision.

Alliance for Vocational Technical Education (AVTE) Calls for Increased Investment by State in Career and Technical Education

March 2, 2018: A broad, statewide coalition of business, education, and community groups, including SkillWorks and advocacy partners with the Workforce Solutions Group, convened at the State House on Friday to urge the Governor and Legislature to redouble their efforts to expand access and boost funding for career and technical education (CTE) in Massachusetts.

SkillWorks Welcomes 2018 Grantees!

2018 is here and somehow we’re already one month down!? We’ve had a flurry of new and exciting endeavors going on here at SkillWorks, and even more to share from our partners and friends throughout our network! Before we launch into the rest of this season’s latest news, we’d first like to welcome our newest 2018 grantees — some old, some new, all doing exciting and important work!

Boston Selected to Participate in National Job Quality Initiative

Boston will assist local healthcare and food service employers in improving hiring, retention, and engagement of frontline workers.

Boston, MA (January 17, 2018) – The National Fund for Workforce Solutions announced that it is awarding $100,000 to Boston- based SkillWorks and Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), to advance job quality strategies in the healthcare and “fast-casual” dining industries. The grants, made possible through The Prudential Foundation, will enable local employers to incorporate new business practices that will improve their competitiveness and result in better jobs for workers. SkillWorks was chosen from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions network of more than 30 communities to lead this innovative program. The selected communities— Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Hartford—will develop and share successful approaches to improving the quality of frontline positions.