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SkillWorks 2015 Recap

December 2015
A Message from the Executive Director
Dear Friends, Funders and Partners:
 
Where did the year go? It feels like just yesterday that I was writing my first newsletter as the new Executive Director of SkillWorks. Time flies when you are having fun. SkillWorks has had a great year with some exciting events, new partnerships and new opportunities. In January, we joined the Alliance for Career Technical Education with partners in business, education and workforce development to increase access to career technical education in the state and support new training capacity for our career technical high schools. We are working closely with Governor Baker's Workforce Skills Cabinet and members of the legislature to vet policy recommendations that will yield greater results for more career technical students and employers that are seeking to find qualified workers. In fact, just this week Governor Baker announced $9.2M for new capital equipment grants for vocational schools and community colleges to apply for job training programs.

We also began to shape our youth and young adult portfolio by partnering with the Opportunity Youth Collaborative and making an investment in Commonwealth Corporation's Signal Success workforce readiness curriculum that is now reaching 200 new students in the Boston Public Schools this school year.

Our SkillWorks Coaches group continues to meet regularly to share best practices and we expanded our capacity building efforts further by partnering with the United Way to host joint meetings of our career coaches and their financial coaches to align coaching efforts and share best practices.

In June, we launched a new funding pool to support our four key focus areas to Drive Demand, Deepen Capacity, Increase Employability for Youth and Young Adults and Target Job Quality. That effort resulted in more than $800,000 in new grants to 11 organizations working on these key areas including organizations within our expanded geography in Somerville and Cambridge. 

We were also the recipient of a new $200,000, two-year grant from our funding partner JPMorgan Chase that will help us launch a new IT/Technology Industry Partnership in early 2016 with our partners in the City's Office of Workforce Development and the Boston Private Industry Council.

As of September 2015, our Phase III investments have reached 358 jobseekers. Of those who have completed training, 72% of people have been placed into jobs, and almost 80% of incumbent workers have seen wage increases. Of all job-seekers and incumbent workers who completed training, 80% earned an education or industry credential of any level. These are just a few highlights from 2015 and we are looking to raise the bar event higher for 2016.

Most importantly, I want to share my sincere appreciation and respect for all the work you do as our partners and supporters. I am honored to work with all of you each and every day as leaders and innovators. My first year at SkillWorks has been so fun and rewarding, and I look forward to continuing our work together and making 2016 a banner year for us.

Good tidings and a Happy New Year to all.

Marybeth Campbell
Executive Director, SkillWorks

In This Issue
Featured Article
Welcome to Our New Grantees
New Grantee Spotlight: Youth Hub
Workforce Developments
6th Annual MA Jobs & Workforce Summit Recap
Article Headline
SkillWorks & Workforce Resources
Welcome to Our Newest Phase III Grantees!
SkillWorks proudly welcomes our 11 newest Phase III grantees, and are excited to continue working with ongoing grantees:

New Funding (1 year terms):
  • Youth Hub: $45,533 to increase employability for youth in Codman Square
Continued funding:
  • Pine Street Inn: $51,000 in year 2 funding for the Credential Completion and Career Advancement (CCCA) initiative
Click here to check out our other Phase III investments!
New Grantee Spotlight: Youth Hub
Youth Hub is an innovative, collaborative, neighborhood-based initiative working to dramatically improve youth employment and career-readiness amongst youth in Codman Square, Dorchester and beyond. The organization grew out of the Millennium Ten Initiative, a comprehensive community planning process that allowed for unprecedented collaboration and engagement in Codman Square and Four Corners that was affiliated with Boston LISC's Resilient Communities Resilient Families Initiative.



Youth Hub applies a measurement-based and innovation-driven approach to improve population outcomes in targeted neighborhoods, while building local leadership and capacity for sustained change. Youth Hub's Youth Cohorts and Leadership Coalition use innovative technology and methods to collect data related to youth employment locally, set and measure goals to improve outcomes (such as increasing summer employment), and engage the community and stakeholders in applying new solutions for better results. Youth Hub also connects outcome-driven initiatives across neighborhoods to promote shared learning, problem solving, and collective action; and connects neighborhoods to local and external stakeholders in a "community-led collective impact" approach to achieve breakthrough improvements in employment and career-readiness for Boston youth.

Check out these great videos and resources to learn more about the great work Youth Hub is doing and what they're all about!








Click here for interviews and quotes from Youth Hub's youth participants themselves, and don't forget to subscribe to Youth Hub's newsletter to stay up to date on all of their exciting work!
Workforce Developments
Boston WINs
SkillWorks' funder, State Street Corporation launched Boston Workforce Investment Network (Boston WINs) in June 2015. The mission? Strengthen Boston's future workforce by advancing job readiness for local youth today.

Check out State Street's Boston WINs video to learn more!

It starts with a multi-year $20-million commitment from the State Street Foundation to five high-performing nonprofits focused on education and career development. Through this financial support and a collaborative approach, Boston WINs creates career pathways for Boston youth. We also create an emerging market of sustainable talent that will benefit the entire Boston community.

State Street selected their Boston WINs partners based on multiple criteria, including impact track record, capacity to manage growth/scale, strength of management team, collaboration track record and culture. Our search led us to five high-performing nonprofits: Bottom Line, College Advising Corps, Boston Private Industry Council (PIC), uAspire and Year Up.



Building Pathways
The Building Pathways Building Trades Pre-Apprenticeship program is accepting applications for their next training session which begins on February 22, 2016. In order to apply, prospective candidates must attend an Information Session to learn about the program. These Information Sessions are being held around the City through the first week of January. In addition to the evening Info Sessions hosted by Building Pathways, the Boston Housing Authority is hosting a series of morning Info Sessions at 125 Amory St. Please see the flyers (linked below) for more information!



Jobcase and YouthHub Boston Announce Novel Civic Tech Partnership to Improve Youth Access to Local Job Opportunities
[Originally published by PRNewswire on 11/4/2015] 
"Jobcase, a Kendall Square-based social media platform dedicated to empowering America's workforce, and YouthHub Boston, a Dorchester-based nonprofit focused on youth employment and career readiness, today announced an agreement to improve youth access to job opportunities in the city of Boston. Through the partnership, Jobcase will begin by providing access to hyper-local job information, enabling the launch of a new mobile web app, developed in collaboration with YouthHub Boston and Code for Boston. With this app, young job seekers will receive customized job listings targeted by proximity and skill level." 



The City of Boston Mayor's Office of Workforce Development Releases it's First Annual Report
Earlier this year, OWD released th
eir first annual report for FY15, titled "Building an Inclusive Economy", which spans OWD's efforts from July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015.


Skills Training Vendor Fair
On November 18th, English for New Bostonians, in partnership with SkillWorks, and the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development held a Skills Training Vendor Fair at SEIU 615 Local. 
 
Over 140 students attended to learn about programs that can help them land stable, family-sustaining careers. Many high quality Boston area training providers were represented, including JVS CareerSolution, JVS Boston: Bridges to College Program, United South End Settlements, Career Collaborative, BEST Corp. Hospitality Training Center, Catholic Charities of Boston, and Asian American Civic Association.


New Video from Persistence Plus!


Persistence Plus, a SkillWorks grantee in partnership with JVS, recently released a new video clip featuring JVS student, Hector Rosales. Hector, who recently earned his medical interpreting certificate at BHCC, has been one of Persistence Plus' most engaged and responsive students on their platform. Persistence Plus feels his words in the video perfectly capture the psychosocial challenges that so many college students face and show how an encouraging nudge can help students persist in their college journey.


Commonwealth Corporation Launches New Website for Signal Success Curriculum!
Signal Success is a comprehensive curriculum, developed by Commonwealth Corporation, designed and tested by education and workforce development partners to help young people develop essential skills for future success. Students receive systematic instruction in core soft skills while engaging in meaningful future planning.

To promote the curriculum and share learnings, best practices, and other resources, Commonwealth Corporation recently launched a new Signal Success website. Check it out today!

6th Annual Massachusetts Jobs and Workforce Summit: The Future of Work
The Workforce Solutions Group successfully hosted their 6th Annual MA Jobs and Workforce Summit this past October. The WSG E-Team and SkillWorks staff worked together throughout the summer and early fall to plan and organize the Summit. This year's theme, the Future of Work, explored how technology and the digital age are impacting regional economies, the workplace, and hiring practices. 

SkillWorks is provided a $5,500 sponsorship for the event, and SkillWorks Executive Director, Marybeth Campbell, moderated  and spoke on one of the afternoon panels: Best Practices in Youth Employment. 



We also heard inspiring calls to action from the Senate President, three state agency Secretaries, three college Presidents, the Attorney General, numerous business leaders, and varied labor and workforce leaders. We heard about the impact of automation on the workplace, the challenges of the gig economy, and best practices for youth employment programs. See a few highlights in the side bar or click here!



The 2015 Workforce Champion Awards were presented to State Street Corporation, the Manufacturing Advancement Center, Workforce Innovation Collaborative and Drury High School's College and Career Readiness Model.

  
Check out the Workforce Solutions Group's website and sign up for their newsletter for more updates, pictures, and highlights.

And don't forget to save the date for next year's Summit! We hope you'll join us!

Wednesday October 26th
Devens Commons Center, Devens, MA
Public Policy Advocacy
The Workforce Solutions Group
Over the course of this past year, the WSG achieved the following budget outcomes:
  • Line item funding of $2.2 million for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF) - the first ever line item for the WCTF. WSG's hope is that it will be level funded or increased the next budget cycle
  • $1.5 million for Precision Manufacturing training programs
  • $11.7 million for YouthWorks
  • $1 million + for the Massachusetts Computing Attainment Network
  • $3 million for "Pathways to Self-Sufficiency"
WSG and SkillWorks have also been convening a Massachusetts Career Pathways Policy Framework working group with key thought leaders including policy experts from the National Skills Coalition, local practitioners, educators, and members of the WSG E-Team, to study the gaps in current systems and draft a recommended strategy to improve access, alignment, and accountability in the state's education, training, and workforce development systems. As this draft set of recommendations takes shape, WSG will vet it with employer groups, advocacy partners, and policy makers to refine and solidify it. Since the state is currently going through its state WIOA planning process, the time is ripe for a meaningful dialogue about new system improvements and increased accountability measures.


Job Training Alliance
With the support of SkillWorks and research partner Root Cause, the JTA has completed a research study on the benefits of quality job training programs and their return on investment. The report, titled Job Training: "Works, Pays, and Saves," shows impressive results, and makes a strong case for sustained and increased support of nonprofit, community based job training programs.

JTA will be holding a release event for this report on January 26th, 9:30-11 at the State House, Room 426. Click here to Register!


Questions? Additional Information Needed? Kindly contact:

SkillWorks & Workforce Resources





Sincerely,

Marybeth Campbell, Executive Director

 

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The Business Section: 
$1.2M New Invest-ment in Workforce Development in Boston



Boston - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Boston Foundation President & CEO Paul S. Grogan, and Peter Scher, Head of Corporate Responsibility for JPMorgan Chase & Co, will announce Wed-nesday, November 18, at an event at City Hall more than $1.2M in new investments for training and workforce develop-ment focused in the City of Boston, including $350K from the city, $400K from the Boston Foundation and $500K from JPMorgan Chase.

"The Boston Foundation salutes our workforce development partners, including JPMorgan Chase for their demonst-ration of community in our region," Grogan said. "These invest-ments, along with efforts by the city, and a greater commitment to Skill-Works from the found-ation will ensure that more workers and empl-oyers will be matched in a way that fulfills both employers' needs and those of Greater Boston's families."



The 11 a.m. event will illustrate JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s growing presence and commit-ment to workforce solu-tions in the Greater Boston region and intro-duce the firm as a new workforce partner to the City of Boston, the Boston Foundation, and SkillWorks-the goal being an aligned workforce strategy in the City bet-ween public, philanth-ropic and corporate resources.

"Boston's continued economic growth is tied to the quality of its work-force and the creation of greater and more inclu-sive economic opportun-ity," said Scher. "JPMorgan Chase is proud to partner with the great city of Boston and The Boston Foundation to help workers get the training they need to fill good-paying jobs in high-demand sectors."

Wednesday's event will also mark a doubling of the Boston Foundation's financial commitment to SkillWorks from $200K to $400K, an initiative founded in 2003 by the foundation and a part-nership of city, state, and public and private investors, who had, since 2000, been study-ing ways to help low-skilled, low-income peo-ple move into family-sustaining jobs while at the same time helping employers find and retain the trained workers they so desperately needed.

In 2003, the partnership launched SkillWorks: Partners for a Productive Workforce with the city, state, foundation and private funding. Through its workforce partners, SkillWorks has put more than 5,000 job seekers and underemployed workers on the path to self-sufficiency and served more than 100 employers high demand industries such as healthcare, construction, financial services, bio-tech, life sciences, hosp-itality, and green jobs. The Boston Foundation and the City of Boston have each invested $5 million since inception, which has helped lever-age over $20 million in commitments from priv-ate foundations and corporate partners.


 
"I am excited to announce this innovative enhancement of work-force programming in partnership with The Boston Foundation and JPMorgan Chase," Walsh said. "For over a decade, SkillWorks has been a public/private partner-ship that has assisted Boston's most econom-ically vulnerable resid-ents with job training and development. Today, we enhance SkillWorks with the inclusion of a new partner, JPMorgan Chase, and a generous recommitment from The Boston Foundation. The City of Boston is proud to join these crucial part-ners in continuing to inv-est in the economic success of all of our residents."



11 Boston-area organiz-ations have also received Fall 2015 SkillWorks one-year grants. They are:

- BEST Corp Hospitality Training Center











As for the $1.2M invest-ment to be announced on Wednesday, a portion of the JPMorgan Chase grant, which comes from its foundation, is a two year, $200K commitment to SkillWorks to support the launch of a new IT/ Tech Industry Partner-ship in 2016, led by local employers from multiple sectors in need of filling jobs requiring IT/ Tech-nology skills. This supp-ort is part of JPMorgan Chase's $250M, five-year New Skills at Work initiative to close the skills gap through data-driven analysis, targeted investments and cross-sector convenings.

The JPMorgan Chase investment in SkillWorks is also helping to supp-ort new grants pooled with other funders such as the City of Boston's Neighborhood Jobs Trust, The Boston Foun-dation, State Street, Bank of America and several family foundations mak-ing it possible for Skill-Works to serve almost 1,000 under/unemployed youth and adults this year seeking new skills and opportunities for jobs leading to family-sustaining wages. 11 new grantees will partner with employers in the healthcare, life science/ biotech, hospitality, con-struction and IT/ tech-nology companies in the region.


Stay tuned for more pictures and highlights to be posted on our Facebook page!
Sound Bites from the 6th Annual MA Jobs & Workforce Summit


Click here to check out video of prominent speakers and attendees from the Workforce Solutions Group's 6th Annual Massachusetts Jobs & Workforce Summit: The Future of Work. 

Resource Spotlight: MassBudget's Jobs & Workforce Budget
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) is an independent nonprofit organization that provides non-partisan research and analysis of state budget and tax policies, as well as economic issues, that affect low- and moderate-income people in Massachusetts.

With support from SkillWorks, Mass Budget developed
 the  Jobs & Workforce Budget tool, which looks at ways we support workforce development through the state budget. 


 
Using the Jobs & Workforce Budget, you can:

  • Learn about all the programs in a particular area: Workforce Development, Education, Workers with Disabilities, and Youth Development.
  • Within those areas, you can look at individual programs, like the Workforce Training Fund. For each program, you will find a full description, state funding history, proposals for future funding, and links to other online resources.
This tool as a living resource, and budget information is updated the throughout the state budget process. If you have any ideas for how to improve the tool or ideas for additional detail to provide in the program descriptions, please contact Nicole Rodriguez at nrodriguez@massbudget.org.

Upcoming Events & Meetings
January 5: WSG E-Team meeting

January 26: Job Training Alliance Job Training ROI report release event at the State House

January 19: YMCA Training Inc & International Institute Graduation

January 27: Opportunity Youth Collaborative meeting

January 29: Boston Healthcare Careers Consortium meeting

February 8-10: National Skills Coalition Skills Summit in Washington D.C.

February 18: National Fund for Workforce Solutions (NFWS) Site Director's call to discuss NFWS 3.0

March 2-3: NFWS Young Adult Convening in New Orleans

March 11: SkillWorks Grantee Convening

March 31: SkillWorks Funders Group Meeting
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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.