Healey-Driscoll Administration Appoints Ken Brown and Sarah Joseph to Lead Efforts to Connect New Arrivals with Employment

Healey-Driscoll Administration Appoints Ken Brown and Sarah Joseph to Lead Efforts to Connect New Arrivals with Employment    

Administration prioritizing connecting work authorized individuals with jobs in health care and human services, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing  

 

BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced the appointment of Ken Brown as Assistant Secretary for Employer Engagement and Employment Outcomes and Sarah Joseph as Director of Community Engagement for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD).  

 

“Across industries, we have employers who urgently need talent to fill open positions, and we have people arriving in Massachusetts who want to work. Our administration has worked hard to get people work authorizations as quickly as possible, and now we are connecting them with jobs that need to be filled,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We are bringing in Ken Brown and Sarah Joseph to drive this work and get this done.”   

 

“Ken and Sarah will hit the ground running as we continue our work to reduce the strain placed on communities and our Emergency Assistance program and provide the support that newly arrived families and individuals need in Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This will take a collective effort, and we look forward to bolstering our efforts to partner with employers and community organizations to unlock these critical employment opportunities we need to urgently achieve.”  

 

The Healey-Driscoll Administration has worked with the MassHire Regional Workforce Boards and Careers Centers to assess skills and work readiness for individuals in shelter who have their work authorization. Recently, the Healey-Driscoll Administration also partnered with the Biden Administration to hold two, week-long clinics to help migrants in Massachusetts with obtaining work authorizations. The clinics were successful, and now nearly 3,000 people have work authorizations in Massachusetts.  

 

Brown will oversee hiring and job placement for migrants with work authorization. Joseph will oversee local and regional partnerships with stakeholders dedicated to employment outcomes for migrants, refugees, and vulnerable populations, including addressing work supports like language barriers and skill development and providing resources for employers statewide. 

 

“EOLWD is pleased to welcome Ken and Sarah to deliver employment outcomes and strengthen hiring practices, especially for new arrivals,” said Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones. “This work will get more people employed with livable wages, which will help both employers and relieve pressure on our existing shelter system.” 

 

About Ken Brown 

Ken Brown is a proven leader with experience in both the private sector and state government, managing strategic partnerships, key relationships, and results. In recent years, Brown served as Senior Vice-President of SICPA North America, and Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CEO of Suffolk Construction. Brown also served under the Patrick-Murray Administration as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment and in the Governor’s Office including as Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for Special Projects to Governor Deval Patrick.  

 

Ken Brown is a graduate of American University in Washington D.C. and holds a Juris Doctor from Boston College School of Law. 

 

About Sarah Joseph 

Sarah Joseph is a trained social worker with experience managing human services and resources for immigrants, individuals with disabilities, individuals experiencing mental health trauma, among other populations. Joseph recently worked as an Immigration Court Helpdesk Paralegal, where she provided assistance and legal information to unrepresented respondents in removal proceedings at the Boston Immigration Court, informed respondents appearing before the court on court practices, procedures, and general information about options related to relief and protection from removal, conducts information sessions and legal orientations, and acted as Friend of Court to assist unrepresented respondents and the Court in the administration of Master Calendar Hearings and Individual hearings. Joseph is fluent in English and Haitian Creole. 

 

Joseph graduated from Fairfield University and holds a Master of Social Work degree from Boston College.