Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $13.5 Million in Skills Capital Grants as STEM Week 2025 Begins
Grants provide schools, colleges and organizations with equipment and hands-on learning to prepare
Massachusetts students for high demand careers;
Governor Healey’s BRIGHT Act includes $100 million in Skills Capital grants
FRAMINGHAM – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today at Framingham State University awarded over $13,500,000 to 66 high schools, colleges, and educational or workforce organizations to expand access to hands-on learning opportunities and state-of-the-art technology in schools and colleges across Massachusetts. These grants will fund the purchase and installation of modern equipment that supports career technical education and training aligned with high-demand industries, such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, health care, and biotechnology.
“Massachusetts leads the nation because we invest in ideas—through our schools, our colleges, and our people,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Our success in innovation and education is no accident—it’s the result of strategic investments. To stay competitive, we need to keep building the best environments for learning and research, and that’s exactly what Skills Capital Grants are doing. They’re how we prepare our students to lead and how we keep Massachusetts leading the world. Our BRIGHT Act dedicates $100 million to Skills Capital Grants to ensure that every community has access to the tools and training that drive opportunity and innovation.”
“As a proud graduate of Salem State University, I know how transformative public higher education can be when students have access to modern, engaging spaces,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “From classrooms to labs, these are the places where curiosity turns into confidence and careers. STEM Week celebrates that journey—showing students across Massachusetts that innovation starts with them. Through Skills Capital Grants, we’re continuing to invest in the environments that make that possible and ensure every student can see themselves in our state’s innovation story.”
With this new round of Skills Capital Grants, the Healey Driscoll administration has made over 90 grant awards, investing nearly $45 million in the Skills Capital Grant Program to modernize classrooms, labs, and training centers in high schools, colleges, and educational or workforce organizations statewide since 2023. The program is administered by the Workforce Skills Cabinet, which brings together Executive Office of Education, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, the Executive Office of Economic Development, and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
“STEM starts now—in every classroom, lab, and after-school program where students are encouraged to ask questions, explore, and create,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “The McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University is a perfect example of what Skills Capital Grants make possible—modern, engaging spaces that inspire curiosity and discovery. These grants help provide the updated spaces and tools our students deserve, ensuring that every learner in Massachusetts has the opportunity to prepare for and succeed in our innovation-driven economy.”
“The Skills Capital Grants help to ensure students and adult learners access modernized infrastructure, equipment, and technologies—critical to fueling our future talent throughout the Commonwealth’s innovation economy,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones. “Building a strong, skilled workforce includes expanding hands-on learning opportunities and leveraging investments through these grants to empower future workers and, in turn, drive the state’s economic competitiveness.”
Today’s announcement took place at Framingham State University’s McAuliffe Center which was updated through Skills Capital Grants, where the administration officially launched STEM Week 2025 under the theme “STEM Starts Now.” The kickoff event reinforced the message that STEM learning can start at any age and plays a crucial role in shaping the Commonwealth’s innovation economy. The weeklong celebration highlights how programs like the Skills Capital Grant initiative are giving students—from early education through higher education—the tools, experiences, and confidence to pursue rewarding careers that fuel the state’s economic growth and competitiveness.
“Massachusetts didn’t become a STEM hub by accident,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “We got here by emphasizing education early on, investing in outstanding institutions like Framingham State University, and welcoming major industry leaders to our communities. These investments pay off with good-paying jobs for our students, a robust economy, and advances in healthcare. I’m glad the Healey-Driscoll Administration is prioritizing STEM, and proud to see these investments being made right here in MetroWest.”
“We want students to graduate with the skills and experience needed launch their careers, and equipment is essential to that preparation,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega. “These investments strengthen the high-quality education that our public higher education students receive, while fueling a skilled workforce for the Commonwealth.”
“In order for students to succeed in in-demand fields, they need access to modern and engaging learning facilities,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “These funds help make that possible and show the state’s investment in students.”
“STEM learning sparks curiosity and confidence as students discover how their skills can shape the world around them,” said Commissioner of Early Education and Care Amy Kershaw. “The Skills Capital Grants open doors to hands-on learning and provides the tools to explore, create, and imagine what’s possible.”
The Healey-Driscoll administration has been expanding access to career-connected education in a variety of ways through their Reimagining High School initiative. Governor Healey’s BRIGHT Act includes $100 million for Skills Capital grants. Over the past two and a half years, the administration has approved 49 new Career Technical Education (CTE) programs and recently opened applications for $60 million in CTE program capital grants to add over 2,000 new CTE seats. These efforts build on expansions the administration has made to Early College programs, Innovation Career Pathways, work-based learning opportunities and My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP). Together, these efforts reflect a shared commitment to creating learning environments that strengthen Massachusetts’ talent pipeline and sustain the state’s position as a national leader in innovation and workforce readiness.
“Massachusetts didn’t become a STEM hub by accident,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “We got here by emphasizing education early on, investing in outstanding institutions like Framingham State University, and welcoming major industry leaders to our communities. These investments pay off with good-paying jobs for our students, a robust economy, and advances in healthcare. I’m glad the Healey-Driscoll Administration is prioritizing STEM, and proud to see these investments being made right here in MetroWest.”
“The Legislature is committed to supporting vocational and technical education for students across Massachusetts,” said Senator Jason Lewis, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “These grants will help schools and other organizations obtain the equipment they need to give students the skills and training necessary to work in high-demand industries and help prepare them for their careers.”
“We are deeply grateful to Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, and the entire administration for their continued investment in public higher education,” said Framingham State University President Nancy S. Niemi. “This Skills Capital Grant will allow us to expand hands-on learning opportunities for our Nursing students through advanced simulation technology—ensuring that they graduate ready to meet the Commonwealth’s critical healthcare needs. These funds strengthen our ability to prepare highly skilled professionals who will make a lasting difference in their communities and across Massachusetts.”
Framingham State University is among the recipients of this round of Skills Capital Grants. The university’s Nursing program was awarded $155,000 to purchase advanced patient simulator equipment that will expand applied learning opportunities and strengthen clinical preparation for students. FSU’s Nursing program maintains strong partnerships with leading health care providers across the region, including Newton-Wellesley Hospital, the Mass General Brigham and UMass systems, MetroWest Medical Center, Milford Regional Medical Center, Emerson Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital—ensuring that students gain hands-on experience in diverse, high-quality care settings.
The Skills Capital grant recipients include:
· ACCEPT Education Collaborative, Natick – $200,000
· Agawam High, Agawam – $70,200
· Assabet Valley Vocational High School, Marlborough – $400,000
· Attleboro High School, Attleboro – $450,000
· Barnstable High, Barnstable – $115,000
· Bartlett High School, Webster – $75,000
· Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Boston – $200,000
· Blackstone Valley Hub for Workforce Development, Whitinsville – $200,000
· Bourne High School, Bourne – $75,000
· Bristol-Plymouth Vocational Technical, Taunton – $408,000
· Brockton High, Brockton – $75,000
· Cape Cod Community College, West Barnstable – $75,000
· Carver Middle/High School, Carver – $75,000
· Center for Manufacturing Training, Woburn – $250,000
· Charles McCann Vocational Technical, North Adams – $259,000
· Chelmsford High, Chelmsford – $149,544
· Digital Ready, Inc., Boston – $200,000
· Duxbury High, Duxbury – $49,742
· Fairhaven High, Fairhaven – $72,584
· Framingham State University, Framingham – $155,000
· Franklin County Technical, Turners Falls – $250,000
· Gloucester High, Gloucester – $113,000
· Greenfield Community College, Greenfield – $280,000
· Hampden Sheriff's Department, Springfield – $250,000
· Haverhill High, Haverhill – $207,500
· Hopkins Academy, Hadley – $75,000
· Lowell High, Lowell – $238,120
· Map Academy Charter School, Plymouth – $75,000
· Martha's Vineyard Regional High, Martha's Vineyard – $75,000
· MASS Maritime Academy, Bourne – $193,950
· Massasoit Community College, Brockton – $400,000
· MassBay Community College, Wellesley – $360,000
· Maynard High, Maynard – $75,000
· Medford High, Medford – $404,034
· Millbury Junior/Senior High, Millbury – $74,968
· Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical, Fitchburg – $500,000
· Mt Everett Regional, Southern Berkshire – $75,000
· Nashoba Regional, Nashoba – $96,425
· Nashoba Valley Technical High School, Westford – $399,994
· New Bedford High, New Bedford – $250,000
· Nipmuc Regional High, Mendon-Upton – $100,000
· Northeast Metro Regional Vocational, Wakefield – $89,000
· Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill – $250,000
· Norwood High, Norwood – $75,000
· Peabody Veterans Memorial High, Peabody – $349,059
· Plymouth North High, Plymouth – $62,127
· Plymouth South High, Plymouth – $350,000
· Quincy High, Quincy – $172,400
· Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester – $450,000
· Reading Memorial High, Reading – $75,000
· READS Collaborative, Middleborough – $53,772
· Scituate High School, Scituate – $140,000
· Shrewsbury High School, Shrewsbury – $145,000
· Silver Lake Regional High, Silver Lake – $204,000
· South Hadley High, South Hadley – $300,000
· South Shore Vocational Technical High, Hanover – $500,000
· Springfield Tech. Community College, Springfield – $390,935
· Tantasqua Regional Vocational, Tantasqua – $300,000
· Taunton High, Taunton – $75,000
· Tech Foundry, Springfield – $306,214
· Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical, Bourne – $400,000
· Uxbridge High, Uxbridge – $54,000
· Watertown High, Watertown – $180,740
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