Boston, MA – Massachusetts will be one of ten states to join the just-launched SkillSPAN, the first nationwide network of non-partisan organizations working together to drive workforce policy wins in over twenty-five states over the next five years.
SkillWorks has joined state and national partners to support SB674: An Act Relative to Ensuring Quality Education and Training Programs. Filed by the late Senator Ken Donnelly, the bill would make education and training program outcome data like wage attainment and college completion rates available to consumers on a timely basis to better inform consumer choices and options. It would give policymakers new tools to better inform the state’s workforce and education planning strategies.
Interested in learning more and finding out how you can support SB674? Well, you’re in luck! Working with our partners at the Workforce Solutions Group and the National Skills Coalition’s Workforce Data Quality Campaign, we’ve developed a fact sheet explaining the What, Who, How and ultimately Why of this critical piece of legislation:
As an article in today’s Boston Globe highlights, warnings of the instability of the Massachusetts economy are growing. Reporter Deirdre Fernandes writes that the region’s top economists are stressing that despite numbers showing economic recovery and steady growth, when you check under the hood, you’ll see a more troubling picture. Yes, the official unemployment has dropped even lower than pre-recession levels to 4.4%, which is also below the current national average of 5%. And it’s true that the state economy has been experiencing steady growth, reaching an annual rate of 2.3%, well above the national average of 0.5%. But these data points divert attention from a myriad of challenges and systemic imbalances combining to create a ‘perfect storm’ positioned to wreak havoc on our economy.
Dear Friend of SkillWorks:
You are invited to review the draft Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Massachusetts Combined State Plan website and provide comments and feedback through in-person public meetings, or online. Please visit the Massachusetts WIOA State Plan website (or continue reading) for more information!
Continue reading “Massachusetts WIOA State Plan Public Review and Comment Period”
Welcome to the Workforce Roundup! Below are workforce news, resources and updates from the last week.
A few quick highlights for this week:
1) Thanks Speaker DeLeo, Representative Tom Conroy, and 39 co-sponsors for supporting job training through including funding for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund in the House Economic Development bill!
2) Join SkillWorks, the Workforce Solutions Group, and our partners for our 2014 Gubernatorial Forum: Building Massachusetts’ Skills to Compete! RSVP today to join us at Roxbury Community College on July 16 to hear what the Massachusetts Gubernatorial candidates have to say about jobs and workforce development!
3) New book launched on June 12, 2014! Connecting People to Work: Workforce Intermediaries and Sector Strategies, edited by Maureen Conway and Robert P. Giloth, focuses on the expanding role of sector strategies in crafting workforce programs that address the needs of low-income workers. The book also features a chapter on SkillWorks, and the trials and tribulations of our funder collaborative, by our very own Loh-Sze Leung!
4) With support from SkillWorks, MassBudget has created a new resource – the online Jobs & Workforce Budget tool, which provides easily accessible funding information and clear descriptions of the workforce development programs funded by our state budget. Check it out today!
There’s lots more below! Please add anything we missed by submitting a comment.
Workforce in the News
Research and Reports
Tools and Resources
Funding Opportunities
Events
