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.
The Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund delivers the best bang for the State’s buck, so let’s fund it!
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. Continue reading “Sustained Funding Needed For Training To Meet State’s Skilled Labor Needs”
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!
What does it mean to be economically self-sufficient? To be financially stable? Many of us hear those terms, or something similar, and learn of their importance starting from an early age and may even get some exposure to tools and tips from family, teachers or mentors, but studies show that nearly 70% of Americans are not financially literate. So we’re talking about a LOT of people who aren’t getting the financial literacy knowledge they need to understand or manage their finances.
Continue reading “Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Through Job Training and Financial Literacy”
Co-conveners of the TechHire Boston employer consortium, SkillWorks and the Boston Private Industry Council (Boston PIC), hosted the third and final IT/Tech forum on Monday, June 19th, 2017. The Greater Boston education and workforce development community gathered with IT/tech industry leaders in a packed space at District Hall to discuss strategies to engage and prepare local talent to meet the growing demand for IT/tech professionals. Mayor Walsh and the Boston Foundation’s Paul Grogan also joined us to announce unprecedented new investments in workforce development to grow the pool of talent and raise the level of candidate preparation from high school through college and into career. Check out the press release below for more information!
