Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $1.5 million in
Grants for New Community College Workforce Training Programs The grants fund free non-degree training programs in areas such as education, health care, addiction recovery, cyber security, and manufacturing. |
Boston, Mass. –
Today, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced they are awarding $1.5
million in grants for new community college workforce training programs for
adults looking to enter or re-enter the workforce. The grants, which are part
of the Training Resources and Internships Network (TRAIN) program, are being
issued to 13 community colleges across Massachusetts to prepare residents for
careers in fields such as education, health care, addiction recovery, cyber
security, and manufacturing. The grants are estimated to provide free career
training to more than 400 adult learners at community colleges across
Massachusetts, with all programs targeting residents who are unemployed or
underemployed. “The success of
MassReconnect has demonstrated that Massachusetts residents are eager to
further their careers, and these training programs are another way to meet
that need,” said Governor Maura Healey. “TRAIN
grants allow community colleges to be responsive to regional workforce needs
and quickly prepare residents to fill critical roles in our cities and
towns.” “These grants will not
only offer new career opportunities to those seeking them, but they will
bring lasting benefits to our communities by increasing the number of trained
professionals in our schools, hospitals and beyond,” said Lieutenant
Governor Kim Driscoll. “Massachusetts residents win
across the board when employers in key industries can look into their
communities and find the talent they need to carry out their missions.” “Massachusetts’
community colleges are tuned into the workforce needs in their region and
these grants allow colleges to meet those needs while bringing opportunities
to residents looking to launch new careers with newly acquired and improved
skills,” said Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler. “TRAIN
grants allow community colleges to build on their existing programs and offer
new opportunities targeted toward residents looking for entry or re-entry
into the workforce.” “The Healey-Driscoll
Administration continues to invest in building our workforce, including
partnering with our community colleges among other partners to prepare
untapped talent right in Massachusetts to gain the skills expressed by
employers across industries,” said Labor and Workforce
Development Secretary Lauren E. Jones, who chairs the
Workforce Skills Cabinet. “Thank you to our community colleges for opening
their doors to increase training capacity and access for Massachusetts
residents to pursue meaningful careers in health care, technology,
manufacturing, and more—spanning regions throughout the state.” “Workforce training is
part of the essential role that Massachusetts community colleges play in our
economy, and these grants help ensure that the colleges can be responsive to
local workforce needs, while creating opportunities for residents,” said Commissioner
of Higher Education Noe Ortega. “These free training
programs allow accessible ways for adult learners to develop skills in areas
that are in great demand, benefitting these learners and their
families.” “Our community
colleges are grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for this
investment in our workforce training programs,” said Jim
Vander Hooven, president of Mount Wachusett Community College and chair of
the Community College Council of Presidents. “TRAIN grants are a
proven avenue for scaling up workforce training programs and we are pleased
to see continued investments.” TRAIN launched in 2016
serving four community colleges, and it has grown to offer grant
opportunities to all 15 community colleges in
Massachusetts. A list of training
programs that will be created with TRAIN grants is included below. Those
interested in enrolling should contact the community college at which their
program of interest is offered. Berkshire Community
College will support workforce training programs for
participants seeking a Phlebotomy Technician Certificate (PTC). BCC will
enroll a total of 24 students in two cohorts (12 per class). The program will
target unemployed and underemployed individuals in Berkshire County. BCC will
a focus on reaching veterans and populations disproportionally impacted by
COVID-19’s impact on the labor force – specifically women of color. BCC will
also be awarded a planning grant that will result in the creation of new advanced
training programs for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
mechanics and technicians, and potentially certification programs related to
Electrical occupations. Bristol Community
College will recruit and enroll a cohort of 24 students in
the Bristol Cyber Security Certificate program. The goal is to recruit and
enroll a cohort of 24 students in the Bristol Cybersecurity Certificate
program, an intensive 22-credit program designed to provide the skills
required to gain entry-level employment. Students who are unemployed,
underemployed, underrepresented, disabled, and veterans are the targeted
populations. Bunker Hill Community
College proposes a comprehensive and flexible array of
training that includes workforce readiness, occupational and on-the-job
training for in-demand jobs in Allied Health and Information Technology.
Activities are designed to identify and engage long-term un/underemployed
workers, COVID-unemployed, and new entrants to the workforce, link them with
needed support services, and quickly train and prepare them for meaningful
employment. Participants will choose from a range of options for occupational
skills training and certification including EKG Technician, Phlebotomy
Technician, CNA, EMT and Red Hat Operations Technician. Cape Cod Community
College will offer an Addiction Recovery Coach (ARC)
Pre-certification and Wellness Training program for one cohort of 12
participants, and for a Peer Support Worker curriculum development project.
The ARC program will target our existing waitlist of unemployed,
underemployed, and new entrant populations seeking workforce readiness
training, and industry-specific skills with credentials to support job
placement in the addiction recovery field. CCCC is also requesting funds to
develop, recruit, and implement a new Peer Support Worker
program. Greenfield Community
College will adapt and scale their successful Certified
Nurse Aide (CNA) curriculum to serve English language learners (ELL). This
proposal outlines a CNA training for English Speakers of Other Languages
(ESOL) students, scaffolded to serve the specific pedagogical and wraparound
support needs of adult ESOL job seekers in Franklin and Hampshire counties,
with the goal of enrolling 15 underemployed or unemployed students, and for
whom English is not their native language. GCC will also plan for the development
of an industry-aligned noncredit Machine Maintenance training program that
will prepare participants to be hired in an entry-level position at a
regional manufacturing employer. Holyoke Community
College will provide an 80-hour Job Readiness/Career
Exploration program, additionally incorporating a 60-hour Teacher Assistant
skills curriculum (140 hours total), with a paid internship opportunity
through DTA Works (with Springfield Public Schools) and employment at
Springfield Public Schools, Holyoke Public Schools, or other public school
systems, as a pathway toward a career in education. Massasoit Community
College proposes a non-credit Emergency Medical
Technician (EMT) Basic training program. Participants will be un- and
under-employed adults from underrepresented socio-economic backgrounds within
the greater Brockton community. Eighteen qualified students will be
enrolled. Students will engage in classroom learning with a built-in
practical component three times per week at Massasoit’s Middleborough Center
Paramedic/EMT laboratory. Middlesex Community
College plans to launch an Advanced Manufacturing
Training Program consisting of academic coursework, career readiness and
hands-on manufacturing technology skills development. The program will
consist of academic coursework and hands-on manufacturing technology skill
development for a total of 160 hours, over approximately 6 weeks per cohort.
Academic and workplace readiness courses (total of 70 hours) will include
mathematics, manufacturing best practices, career readiness and OSHA/Safety
standards. Mt. Wachusett
Community College will provide Certified Nursing
Assistant and Google Information Technology training to 30 unique CNA
students who will complete 30 hours of clinical experiences and prepare for
the CNA licensure exam. A cohort of 10 unique students will enroll in the Google
IT program, earn the Google IT certificate and prepare for the CompTIA A+
certification exam. Northern Essex
Community College will train approximately 100
unemployed and/or underemployed adult learners with limited English language
skills, many of whom will be recent immigrants. The college will offer two
cohorts of Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training (maximum 20 students per
cohort) and three cohorts of Pharmacy Technician training (maximum 20
students per cohort). In addition, there will be an ESOL companion class for
any CNA student in need of ESOL support. North Shore Community
College proposes a Cybersecurity Non-credit to Credit
Pathway Program designed to meet the needs of adult learners, specifically
under/unemployed residents and those who belong to often underrepresented
populations, in addition to responding to employer demand for skilled workers
in priority sectors. The program will enroll 22 students, to participate in
two cohorts over the course of 20 weeks, beginning with non-credit
instruction and culminating with matriculation into college credit bearing
courses related to the subject-matter. The focus of the non-credit training
is CompTIA Fundamentals and CompTIA A+, which are recognized as the preferred
qualifying credentials for technical support and IT operational
roles. Quinsigamond Community
College will launch an IT Help Desk Specialist Training
program designed to prepare 24 individuals using two cohorts of 12 each for
entry into in-demand IT jobs. The primary objective of this grant is to
quickly skill up individuals to enter the workforce and provide an entry
point to a career in IT that provides family-sustaining wages and
benefits. Roxbury Community
College will launch a paraprofessional training program
with a pipeline to local schools, a path to RCC's Early Childhood Education
program, and a career in education as a teacher. RCC will work with its
curriculum committee to link this program to its degree pathway through
Credit for Prior Learning (CPL). |
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