|
|
| SkillWorks News: September 2012 |
|
|
MA Jobs and Workforce Summit is October 10--
Register TODAY!
The Workforce Solutions Group is proud to announce the Third Annual Massachusetts Jobs and Workforce Summit on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at The Publick House in Sturbridge, MA.
Join Secretary Greg Bialecki, Secretary Joanne Goldstein, Secretary Paul Reville, CEO Kip Hollister, and Google's Jeremy Wertheimer to explore this year's theme, "Sharpening Our Competitive Edge." The Summit will put the spotlight on the key role that workforce development and skills training play in the health of our state's economy.
Now in its third year, the 2012 Summit will feature over 300 key policy makers, business and education leaders presenting the latest information about job creation efforts in Massachusetts, statewide labor market and credential needs, middle skill education initiatives, the STEM pipeline, green jobs and business trends.
Register today! Rates go up October 4.
The Workforce Solutions Group will also present its annual awards including the 2012 Employer of the Year Award, the Lifetime Achievement Advocacy Award, and the Training Partnership of the Year Award.
Know an excellent business or training partner to nominate? Please submit the easy online nomination form by September 25.
For more information or to sponsor the Summit, please contact summit coordinator Claire Winthrop.
|
|
The Economic Development and Jobs bill (H. 4352) was passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor last month.
One of the most exciting workforce pieces in this Jobs bill is a $5 million direct appropriation for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, a portion of which shall be directed to middle-skill training!
In addition, the legislation:
- Establishes a MA Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative and Commonwealth Advanced Manufacturing Futures program;
- Provides for the development of annual regional plans to coordinate training and education activities to target employer needs and to meet the commonwealth's demand for workers
- Establishes a middle-skill subcommittee of the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund advisory board.
Read our blog for more details on the legislation.
We are deeply grateful to the Governor, to Senate President Therese Murray, Speaker Robert DeLeo, and to our Senate and House champions, especially:
- Senators Ken Donnelly, Dan Wolf, Chairwoman Gale Candaras, Karen Spilka, Stan Rosenberg, Katherine Clark, Sonia Chang-Diaz, Tom McGee, Jack Hart,Chairman Stephen Brewer, Mike Moore, Michael Knapik, Brian Joyce, and Mike Rush.
- Chairman Joseph Wagner, Chairman Brian Dempsey, and Representative Cheryl Coakley-Rivera
|
|
Water Report Highlights Local, Green Career Pathways
SkillWorks recently released the report Promoting Entry to Career Pathways in the Drinking Water and Wastewater Sector by UMass Lowell Center for Sustainable Production and the Massachusetts Workforce Alliance. The report focuses on the clear and accessible pathways for water operators as well as the looming waves of retirements the sector is anticipating over the next 5-20 years. A full MA labor market study is recommended to determine the full scope of the problem and the opportunities.
"We all rely on skilled professionals to maintain our drinking water and wastewater systems to ensure we have healthy and livable communities. With a projected workforce shortage in these areas, we will continue to work with state and local officials to encourage the next generation of water professionals to be trained for success in this exciting career path."
-- Stephen Perkins, director at the New England EPA
|
Capacity Building Highlights: New Tools and Resources
On July 19, SkillWorks held a workshop on staff transition planning for workforce organizations and released a toolkit for practitioners on the topic, with the help of the City of Boston, Boston Private Industry Council, and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. The toolkit is full of templates and other tools to help your team plan for planned or unexpected transitions.
Download the Succession Planning Toolkit.
On September 18, SkillWorks held a workshop on Labor Market Information tools with presenters covering traditional and real-time tools and providing a whole host of resources for workforce development professionals.
|
Creating New Opportunities: Update on SkillWorks' grant to the BHA
 | |
Pre-Apprenticeship program participants on the job
|
The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) received a SkillWorks Green Capacity Building grant to revise their Section 3 policy and to increase compliance. The Section 3 program requires that recipients of HUD funding (for example, the BHA), provide job training, employment, and contract opportunities for low or very-low income residents in connection with projects and activities in their neighborhoods.
This past spring, the BHA revised and began to implement their new Section 3 policy utilizing a collaborative approach across BHA departments. The new policy includes a Section 3 Training Fund and a focus on working with industry leaders to provide employment and training opportunities to BHA residents. The centerpiece of this initiative is the Building Pathways Building Trades Pre-Apprenticeship Program: a 7 week, 226 hour training program preparing low-income Boston residents for union apprenticeships. SkillWorks is proud to have been part of the development of this new approach to providing opportunities for BHA residents to access good jobs in their neighborhoods.
|
|
Quick Partnership Highlights
 Partnership for Automotive Career Education (PACE):
PACE graduated its Spring 2012 class on August 1. There were 13 graduates, including 2 women. Also, 10 of the 11 graduates from the Fall 2011 class have been placed into automotive sector jobs.
Hotel Training Center (HTC):
At the end of each cycle, the Basic Culinary class at Hotel Training Center holds a Chowder-fest competition. The students compete against each other for the coveted title of "HTC  Chowdah Champ." The class invites friends, Chefs, HR Directors and many others from partner employers and organizations to come sample their chowder and vote for the best. This year, Jacobo Gonzalez won the Chowder-fest and also won himself an opportunity. The HR Director of the Sheraton Boston Hotel was impressed with him and his chowder. She invited him to the Sheraton to apply for a cook position. With the help of his Career Coach, Jacobo applied and is now a Banquet Cook at the Sheraton.
SkillWorks' support is adding green construction instruction and training to YouthBuild Boston's core programs. Participants will now have the opportunity to gain OSHA10 and OSHA30 certifications, which employers have said are important for gaining employment. YBB's participants have been busy with a number of projects this summer, such as one at Bradley Properties on Tremont Street. Students have started on building mahogany benches and sanding and repainting an iron fence. Students have also built slated mahogany panels for the fence. Healthcare Training Institute: Boston Children's Hospital graduated a class of Central Processing Technicians this spring as a result of a partnership between the hospital, JVS Boston, and Bunker Hill Community College. All newly certified technicians will receive wage increases!
|
|
Weekly Workforce Roundup
Did you know that SkillWorks does a weekly round-up of workforce news, funding opportunities, research and resources?
Sign-up to receive weekly updates from the blog! |
Workforce Development Funding Opportunities
- @Scale STEM Pipeline initiative focused on workforce development and post-secondary credential attainment. RFP has been released, and proposals are due October 25, 2012.
- Pay for Success Pilot Projects: Grants awarded will fund pilots of a Pay for Success model which is an innovative funding strategy for achieving specific social service outcomes. Closing date is December 11, 2012.
- Stand Down Grants: These grants provide an estimated 10,000 homeless veterans with opportunities to reintegrate into society.
Subscribe to our blog for weekly updates on funding opportunities & more! |
|
|
|
|
SkillWorks Program Officer Tricia Maguire will be missed as she takes on a new role with the Commonwealth Workforce Coalition!
|
Director's Remarks | |
Recently, I was asked to share some of my personal highlights from the last few years with the SkillWorks funders as we go through our strategic planning for Phase 3, and like the process of choosing what to put in a newsletter, I found it difficult to narrow down the list! When I reflect back on the 7 years that I have been with SkillWorks, I am proud of so much that we have accomplished together.
We'll be providing updates on the strategic planning process later this fall, but if you have already been contacted to provide feedback, THANK YOU for taking the time. We really value your input in this process.
In this edition, you'll see just a few of the highlights from the spring and summer, including the Jobs bill and funding for sector skills training and middle-skill jobs; awards received, and progress made toward career advancement and systems change. Read on for more!
Most importantly, however, I would like to extend a hearty congratulations and thanks to Tricia Maguire, who is leaving to lead the Commonwealth Workforce Coalition at the end of this week. Tricia has made tremendous contributions to SkillWorks and to workforce development generally during her three years with us, and I know I speak for all of the funders, grantees, and partners of SkillWorks when I say she will be missed.
Again, thanks for all you do to make this work possible. And happy fall!
Loh-Sze Leung
Director
| |
JVS Boston's Carol Grady, BIDMC's Joanne Pokaski, and Loh-Sze Leung accept the award for exemplary workforce partnership for the Healthcare Training Institute from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions.
|
SkillWorks Initiative Highlights
SkillWorks and its partners received two awards at the recent National Fund for Workforce Solutions Annual Meeting in Cincinnati, OH.
SkillWorks program officer Tricia Maguire presented at the same NFWS Annual Meeting on SkillWorks' green jobs investments and lessons learned and also blogged about it for the Council on Foundations.
SkillWorks college navigation coach Zeida Santos was featured at the Commonwealth Workforce Coalition conference and in the Boston Herald
for her work with adults transitioning to college. We also released an interim evaluation memo on our investments in this area to date.And just this week, SkillWorks was featured at the Inner City Economic Summit as a "What Works" strategy in the area of workforce development.
|
SkillWorks Funders
The Barr Foundation BNY Mellon The Boston Foundation Chorus Foundation The City of Boston's Neighborhood Jobs Trust The Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Garfield Foundation The Hyams Foundation The Clowes Fund, Inc Mabel Louise Riley Foundation Microsoft Corporation National Fund for Workforce Solutions Nellie Mae Education Foundation Perpetual Trust for Charitable Giving, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee State Street Foundation Surdna Foundation United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley U.S. Department of Labor, through Jobs for the Future SkillWorks would like to thank the State Street Foundation, Surdna Foundation, the Clowes Fund, and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation for renewing their funding commitments since the last newsletter! |
|
SkillWorks Partnerships
Chinatown Green Collar Career
Pathways Initiative
Emergency Medical Careers
Partnership
Energy Efficiency Technician
Apprenticeship Program
GreenSTREAM: Sustainable Training Resources for Environmentally Advanced Manufacturing Healthcare Training Institute
Hotel Training Center
Partnership for Automotive
Career Education
Workforce Solutions Group
Year Up Financial Services
Partnership
YouthBuild Boston Green
Construction Program |
 | Register for the 2012 Jobs and Workforce Summit TODAY!
|
|
|
|
|
About SkillWorks: Partners for a Productive Workforce
SkillWorks is an ambitious effort on the part of philanthropy, government, community organizations, unions, and employers to respond to Massachusetts' workforce crisis. SkillWorks' goal is to create a workforce development system that helps low-skill, low-to-moderate income residents move to family-sustaining jobs and helps employers find and retain skilled employees. It is the largest public/private investment in workforce development in Boston's history.
|
|
|
Jobs Bill Passes; includes $5 Million for Sector Skills Training Partnerships and Middle-Skill Jobs
