SkillWorks: Partners for a Productive Workforce successfully promotes workforce development in the city of Boston due to a community of non-profit agencies, employers, philanthropic organizations and participants. It's a priority for us to keep you informed on the work of the initiative so that together we can provide creative leadership for and solutions to our region's workforce challenges. |
SkillWorks' Green Collar Career Pathways Initiative
With generous funding from an anonymous funder, the Garfield Foundation, and the Surdna Foundation, SkillWorks recently launched a Green Collar Career Pathways Initiative.
As part of this work, SkillWorks has co-sponsored a briefing on ARRA funds; a funder briefing on green jobs; an employer-funder forum for those in the clean energy/energy efficiency sectors; and a CBO forum and planning session. In addition, SkillWorks has awarded planning grants (see story below) to partnerships developing training programs that expand access for low-income/public or affordable housing residents to jobs in weatherization and energy efficiency.
In the coming weeks and months, SkillWorks will be expanding its efforts in this area to policy advocacy in this area; further funder and employer outreach/engagement; and some capacity building or partnership building for community-based organizations or training providers. SkillWorks will also be sponsoring workforce needs research in areas of the green economy outside of clean energy/energy efficiency.
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SkillWorks Sponsors Green Jobs Employers Forum
On May 20th, SkillWorks, in conjunction with the New England Clean Energy Council, Commonwealth Corporation and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, sponsored a forum, attended by over 80 clean energy and energy efficiency employers and funders, to discuss workforce development funding programs emerging in these sectors of the economy. The forum also gave employers the opportunity to provide feedback on their needs and express concerns about workforce training.
The event featured presentations by Marybeth Campbell, director of  workforce development for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center; Ken Barnes, deputy director of the Mayor's Office of Jobs and Community services for the city of Boston; Orson Watson of the Garfield Foundation; and SkillWorks director Loh-Sze Leung, (pictured at right).
Perhaps most valuable to funders and employers was the question and answer section that allowed employers to ask questions and exchange ideas with each other about workforce development in their field. In addition to discussing their unique challenges as employers in an emerging field, the business owners and entrepreneurs were also able to illuminate the similarities of their training needs (for example, language training or administrative assistance) with more established industries.
For more information about the forum, please contact Tricia Maguire, SkillWorks Program Associate, at patricia.maguire@tbf.org.
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SkillWorks Announces Planning Grants for its Green Jobs Initiative
SkillWorks recently announced planning grants to three organizations leading planning processes leading to greater involvement of low-income and/or public housing residents in energy efficiency/weatherization training and job opportunities:
- Asian American Civic Association for their green facilities maintenance program (BEEMS);
- JFYNetWorks for a project to expand access to weatherization training and jobs for low-income/public housing residents in Chelsea; and
- MassCAP to develop a regional training partnership with CAP agencies in Boston, Quincy, and Southern Middlesex County.
The purpose of these grants is to help organizations prepare applications for implementation funding from the US Department of Labor or other sources.
SkillWorks will be convening these groups as well as others interested in working together on implementation funding from ARRA or other sources. Please contact Tricia Maguire, SkillWorks Program Associate, at patricia.maguire@tbf.org for more information.
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U.S. Department of Labor Announces Grants Available
As part of the historic American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) passed in February, the U.S. Congress allocated $500 million for competitive grants in green jobs training. The U.S. Department of Labor has split those funds into five separate grant competitions, with due dates ranging from September 4 to October 20, 2009. You can read the grant announcements on the DOL website or find summaries of the grant opportunities at www.workforcealliance.org. SkillWorks will be holding several planning sessions over the summer. Please contact Tricia Maguire, Program Associate, for more information about these sessions. |
Legislative Update - Good News on Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund
Thank you to everyone who made calls to Governor Patrick over the past several weeks. Because of your efforts, the Governor vetoed the section of the budget that zeroed out funding for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund. Stay tuned for additional updates on the Massachusetts budget and how it is impacting workforce development programs in the Commonwealth. |
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Introducing Patricia Maguire
SkillWorks is pleased to introduce our new Program Associate Patricia Maguire. Tricia completed a masters in macro social work at Boston College in May 2009. Her most recent professional
experience includes being the Government Programs Specialist for TJX Companies
where she built employment relationships with community agencies. Tricia will be working primarily on SkillWorks' new Green Collar Career Pathways Initiative.
Patricia can be reached by phone at (617) 338-4787 or by e-mail at patricia.maguire@tbf.org. |
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Director's Remarks
Welcome to a special "green" edition of the SkillWorks newsletter. With the support of several new funders, SkillWorks has recently launched a Green Collar Career Pathways Initiative.
Through this initiative, SkillWorks aims to convene funders, employers, advocates and community-based organizations to share information and best practices as well as to build a common understanding and agenda. In addition, SkillWorks will award grants to partnerships that create career advancement opportunities in these emerging sectors for low-income, lower-skilled individuals.
We are excited about our work in this area, and we look forward to sharing more with you as the work progresses.
Finally, I'd like to take a moment introduce the newest member of the SkillWorks team, Patricia Maguire, who joined us at the end of June as a new program associate. Tricia will assume leadership for the new Green Collar Career Pathways Initiative.
Have a wonderful summer!
Loh-Sze Leung
Director
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SkillWorks Funders
- Anonymous
- The Boston Foundation
- The City of Boston's Neighborhood Jobs Trust
- The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- The Garfield Foundation
- The Hyams Foundation
- The Clowes Fund, Inc
- The Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust
- Microsoft Corporation
- The National Fund for Workforce Solutions
- The Nellie Mae Education Foundation
- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- State Street Foundation
- Surdna Foundation
- United Way of Massachusetts
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SkillWorks Partnerships
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Healthcare Training Institute
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Community Health Worker Initiative of Boston - Emergency Medical Careers Partnership
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Hotel Training Center
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Workforce Solutions Group - Year Up Financial Services Partnership
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SkillWorks in the Media
In case you missed it, SkillWorks was featured on WBUR's "Morning Edition" last Friday, July 17th, on a story about training and employment in a difficult economy.
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