Governor Baker Announces First Round of Workforce Skills Initiatives

Governor Baker Announces First Round of Workforce Skills Initiatives New Policies Set to Align State Services, Education and Training Programs with Growing Industries CAMBRIDGE – Today, Governor Charlie Baker announced the first round of several new policy initiatives developed collaboratively by the Baker-Polito Administration’s Workforce Skills Cabinet, aimed at addressing a gap between employers’ needs for skilled workers and residents’ ability to get training and education for jobs in growing industries in the Commonwealth. Amazon, Inc. hosted the announcement at their facility in Kendall Square after working with the Cabinet to increase the company’s presence in Massachusetts. “The successful model for a coordinated response across state agencies to recruit new investments from Amazon is one we look forward to replicating across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “These new initiatives developed by our Workforce Skills Cabinet streamline efforts to meet business needs, employ our residents, and be demand-driven in spreading economic prosperity throughout Massachusetts.” Seattle-based internet retailer Amazon has worked with the Workforce Skills Cabinet to expand its presence in Massachusetts. The company recently opened new facilities in Stoughton and announced plans to build a new 1-million-square-foot fulfillment center in Fall River, as well as increased its office space in Kendall Square, and purchased a warehouse robotics company in North Reading in 2012. The company expects to hire hundreds of new employees at its various locations. “There’s a strong commitment from leaders in Massachusetts government to grow the economy and develop a top-tier workforce, which has attracted our continued investments in the state and increased our ability to recruit the world’s best software developers, engineers and scientists,” said Braden Cox, director of U.S. Public Policy for Amazon. “We hear from employers all the time they have jobs to fill, but cannot find qualified, skilled workers to hire and these initiatives will change that dynamic for employers,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker, II, Chair of the Workforce Skills Cabinet. “With alignment of money, planning and performance, we will make sure out state dollars support training programs that work and are focused on the skills gap.” Aiming to change the way the state engages businesses, the Baker-Polito Administration’s Workforce Skills Cabinet policy initiatives include: ·       Governor’s BizWorks Team: A team of executive-level staff across the three Secretariats will provide a coordinated point of contact and communication with companies large and small to meet their needs.Businesses can contact 1-800-252-1591 to speak with a member of the Governor’s BizWorks Team. ·       State Grants, Planning and Performance: The Workforce Skills Cabinet will launch a regional planning process to coordinate education, workforce and economic development, focusing on regional strengths and business needs, share data and evaluations across state programming, and ensure state dollars are supporting programs that are working to address the skills gap. ·       Career and Technical Education Initiative: The Workforce Skills Cabinet will work to significantly expand access to high-quality career education programs in STEM fields, manufacturing and trades, with a focus on underserved populations and communities. “Employers from across the Commonwealth have consistently said that access to a skilled workforce is the top factor limiting their growth,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “By coordinating our efforts and deepening the state’s skilled workforce, the Workforce Skills Cabinet is connecting residents to economic opportunity.” “Economic growth is directly tied to our ability to grow a high quality workforce at all skill levels, and the Workforce Skill Cabinet helps to bring together education, economic and workforce development leaders to find solutions that align education and training with business demand,” said Education Secretary James Peyser. “We are pleased to be able to support proven career technical education programs, especially in our vocational schools and community colleges.” After Governor Baker established the Workforce Skills Cabinet by Executive Order in February, its Chair, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ronald Walker, II, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, and Education Secretary James Peyser have worked closely to create partnerships and pathways to respond to businesses’ demand for skilled workers and develop plans to help residents get the skills they need to fill jobs in the Commonwealth.

AG HEALEY TAKES ACTION AGAINST UNLAWFUL STUDENT DEBT RELIEF COMPANIES, ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVE TO HELP STUDENTS AND FAMILIES NAVIGATE LOAN REPAYMENT

AG HEALEY TAKES ACTION AGAINST UNLAWFUL STUDENT DEBT RELIEF COMPANIES, ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVE TO HELP STUDENTS AND FAMILIES NAVIGATE LOAN REPAYMENT
Latest Phase in AG’s Efforts to Address Abuses In Student Lending Industry; Settlements to Provide $96,000 to Eligible Students, Bans Companies from Operating in Massachusetts

BOSTON – In an effort to help students and families struggling under a mounting student loan debt crisis, Attorney General Maura Healey today announced that her office is cracking down on a “cottage industry” of unlawful debt relief companies in Massachusetts. The AG’s Office is also launching a new effort to assist borrowers who are having trouble paying their student loans.

“When people can’t get out from under their debt, they can’t buy homes, start businesses, support families or contribute to our economy,” AG Healey said. “Many companies are taking advantage of this student loan debt crisis by misleading vulnerable borrowers looking to reduce their payments. We are committed to protecting students from these abuses and will ensure that they are able to utilize free programs offered by the federal government to manage their loans.” 

According to the AG’s Office, many federal loan servicers often fail to do their jobs to help students enter into affordable payment plans, resulting in debt relief companies offering their services in exchange for exorbitant fees that violated state law. Many of these companies falsely associate themselves with the federal government and fail to make it clear that they are generally filing the same applications for income-based repayment programs that student borrowers could fill out themselves online and for free. 

To assist struggling borrowers unable to repay their loans, the AG’s Office is increasing its resources to help students and families with a new Student Loan Assistance Unit. Working with a core of trained attorneys within the Insurance and Financial Services Division, borrowers will be able to access a dedicated hotline and mediation program that will review current student loan and payment situations and help them get out of default or delinquency, work with the student to apply for various income-driven repayment plans offered by the federal government, and advocate for complete discharges of the loans in appropriate circumstances.

In addition to this initiative, the AG’s Office has reached two separate assurances of discontinuance with debt relief companies IrvineWebWorks, Inc. d/b/a Student Loan Processing.US (SLP) and Interactiv Education, LLC, d/b/a Direct Student Aid. SLP has agreed to pay $56,000 and Direct Student Aid will pay $40,000 over allegations of charging illegal upfront fees prior to delivering full and complete services, aggressive marketing practices, and misleading borrowers about their ability to arrange lower monthly payments for their loans. The companies have also agreed to no longer provide or advertise services in Massachusetts.

At least 200 students alleged to be harmed by these deceptive practices are eligible for relief. In these cases,some students were charged more than a thousand dollars simply to have the companies complete these applications. 

In addition, advertisements were allegedly designed to give customers the false impression that they were somehow connected to the federal government, or had a special relationships with the U. S. Department of Education, and could help borrowers obtain unusually low monthly payments. 

Student borrowers do not need to enroll with companies like these to access the many borrower assistance programs available, such as loan consolidation, income-based repayment plans, and loan forgiveness. The federal government offers these programs to borrowers directly and for free. Companies advertising “student loan debt relief” or “Obama student loan forgiveness” generally cannot negotiate a better deal for students who are experiencing problems in paying their student debts, and none of them have special relationship with the federal government or its loan servicers.

At the Department of Education’s website, borrowers can apply for income-based repayment programs that may help them lower their payments. The federal government even provides options to borrowers who have already defaulted, such as loan rehabilitation.

Student borrowers who are interested in learning more about income-based repayment programs, who have questions about their options, or who would like to know if they are a student eligible for relief as a result of these investigations, should visit the Student Lending Assistance page or call the Attorney General’s Student Loan Assistance Unit Hotline at 1-888-830-6277.

The settlements with Direct Student Aid and SLP were handled by Assistant Attorney General Sarah Trombley and Legal Analyst Brook Kellerman, both of the Attorney General’s Insurance & Financial Services Division.

波士頓經文處向飛虎隊員家屬致謝

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪11月21日晚間應邀參加「羅德島航空名人堂（Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame）」第13屆年度餐會，代表中華民國政府向二次大戰期間赴華助戰之已故飛虎隊員Bertrand T. Cournoyer家屬致意。

            賴銘琪在會上代表政府頒贈獎牌予C氏家屬。他表示，今年是抗戰勝利70週年，中華民國政府緬懷二戰期間的盟國間合作、支援，十分感謝美國政府與人民的援助，尤其感謝所有赴華助戰的美國友人，盼望兩國友誼更加堅實穩固。

C氏是1942年赴華助戰，名聞遐邇的飛虎隊成員之一，曾執行攻擊日軍、空中接戰、護航「馳峰」運補、護航美國轟炸機攻擊日軍，以及在印度訓練中國空軍飛行員等任務。他在1944年回美，1967年逝世。

美國海軍前飛行軍官Frank Lennon於2003年創立了羅德島州航空名人堂，以表彰該州有貢獻之航空界人士。駐波士頓臺北經文處不但是唯一獲邀之外國政府代表，還已連續三年獲邀，以貴賓身份參加年度表揚大會。

當晚在會中獲表揚的還有亞利桑納州聯邦眾議員，曾任美國空軍戰鬥機飛行員的Martha McSally。羅德島州聯邦眾議員Jim Langevin ，David Cicilline 都出席了盛會。

照片圖說：

駐波士頓經文處賴銘琪處長（右二）在波士頓榮光會理事長石家孝（左一）陪同中頒獎牌給C氏女兒Michelle Walsh（中）。右一為羅州航空名人堂負責人Frank Lennon，左二為歷史學者Tripp Alyn。（圖由經文處提供）

            駐波士頓經文處賴銘琪處長在航空名人堂表揚活動中致辭。（圖由經文處提供）

感恩假日到 波市長宣佈節日折扣、停車優惠

再過兩天的星期四（26日），就是感恩節了，波士頓市長馬丁華殊（Martin J. Walsh)迫不及待的宣佈，假日季節開始，11月27日起至明年1月2日，民眾可在市內免費停車2小時，邀民眾接受“五次主街”挑戰，遊賞第12屆“大放光明節”。

昨(23)日下午，波士頓市長馬丁華殊和市府旅遊、體育及娛樂辦公室，明亮藝術（luminARTZ），藝術波士頓（ Arts Boston），以及大波士頓會議及遊客局等機構代表，在波士頓公共圖書館前，宣佈各項假日活動，邀請民眾及遊客充分享受。

從12月17日起至20日，波士頓市長的“光的慶祝（Celebration of Lights）”，將由“明亮藝術”演出“波士頓之光”，以三維投影，把波士頓公共圖書館達特茅斯（Dartmouth）街那一面牆，轉變成一塊藝術帆布，每晚5點起，直至晚上10點，和民眾分享和平，希望的訊息。

波市府表示，這將是全美第一個燈光裝置藝術表演，由世界知名，曾在澳洲悉尼製作“生動悉尼燈行（ Vivid Sydney Light Walk ）”，“聖誕之光”的藝術家，AGB活動公司的Anthony Bastic製作。

            由“藝術波士頓“製作的波士頓市長節日特價活動，在高地街基金（Highland Street Foundation）贊助下，今年跨入第 12屆，將在兩個月中，以免費或折扣價為民眾提供包括波士頓芭蕾舞團“胡桃鉗子”，波士頓流行交響樂團慶祝洛哈特（Keith Lockhart）指揮20週年，安東尼威廉第15屆市區胡桃鉗子，以及海頓協會的彌賽亞等100多場表演。查詢詳情，可上網www.MayorsHoliday.com。

            波市府的旅遊局也和美國銀行，高地街基金會合作，為民眾提供許多有趣，但不貴的活動，查詢可上網 www.cityofboston.gov/visitors 。

            在協助民眾過個好節之餘，波士頓市長也希望民眾響應支持本地商家活動，呼籲民眾參加‘假日在主街“活動，並接受”五次主街（5 on Main）“挑戰，在假日期間，至少有五次在主街內消費。

圖片說明：

            波士頓市長馬丁華殊（中）昨日在波士頓公共圖書館前，連同波士頓芭蕾舞團的胡桃鉗子演員，宣佈假日季節開始，波市有多項優惠。（菊子攝）

        波士頓市長馬丁華殊（右二）昨日在波士頓公共圖書館前，連同波士頓芭蕾舞團的胡桃鉗子演員，宣佈假日季節開始，波市有多項優惠。（菊子攝）

波市公校和溫暖行動攜手8000件外套送貧童、流民

波士頓公校總監張欽棠（Tommy Chang）昨(23)日和“溫暖行動（Operation Warm）”主任Richard Lalley，社區領袖一起，把8,200件嶄新的保暖外套，捐給流浪漢及家境清貧的公校學生。

張欽棠表示，看到有那麼多人加入送暖行動，感到很窩心。波市公校將致力幫助有需要的學生及流浪漢。

昨晚，大波士頓氣溫陡降至華氏35度，“溫暖行動”的送冬衣義舉，似乎來得正是時候。

            “溫暖行動”是一個全國性的慈善組織，活動重點放在藉由送贈新的冬季外套，及禮物，為低收入家庭兒童帶來溫暖及快樂。所有贈品都由BNY美倫銀行，健贊（Genzyme），Vertex製藥，人民的聯合社區基金（People’s United Community Foundation），TD慈善基金，以及一位匿名的波士頓地區慈善家捐出。

            過去數天，有不少波士頓公校學生到波市學校部所在的布魯斯寶林（Bruce C. Bolling）市政大樓當義工。昨日有多所學校派代表到寶林大樓領取外套。

            根據波市公校網站，波市有125所學校，來自135個國家的共約56,000名學生。在波市功效的不斷努力下，4到8年級學生的成績評鑑，超過了全美公校的平均程度。波市公校的四年畢業率，也達到66.7%的自從麻州開始做紀錄以來的最高點。自從2009年採行延長學習時間做法的學校由4所增加至24所後，如今每五名公校學生中就有一人上的學校有較長的學習日。

圖片說明：

            Jeremiah Burke高中的學生發展輔導員阮中（譯音，Dzung Nguyen）（左）代表該校，從波市公校總監張欽棠那兒領取“冬衣”。該校約有50~60名學生申請領取冬衣。（菊子攝）

邦克丘社區學院2016年進昆市開課

邦克丘社區學院（Bunker Hill Community College，簡稱BHCC）將從2016年1月起，在北昆士市提供可得大專學分的心理學課程。

邦克丘社區學院學術支援及大專路項目主任Nuri Chandler-Smith,表示，該校有不少學生來自北昆士市，在這開課，將可鼓勵更多學生在展望未來時，把大專教育列入考慮。

這堂心理學原理（PSY-101-BCQ）課，將在波士頓華埠社區中心的昆士分部（275 Hancock Street, 2nd Floor, North Quincy）上課，從2016年的1月25日起，每週一晚上的6點到8點45分上課。

“心理學原理”在邦克丘社區學院是心理學入門課程，內容包括資訊及理論調查，許多主修課都要求先修習這門課。課程主題包括腦及行為，研究方法，學習，知覺，動機，情緒，人類成長及發展，個性，不正常行為和心理療法，社會認知及瞭解等。

邦克丘社區學院事麻州最大的社區學院，共有14,000名學生在2個校區及3個衛星地點上課。該校也是麻州最多元化的高等教育機構，64%的學生是有色人種，一半以上是女性。該校也有來自約100個不同國家，使用75種不同語言的900名國際學生。

該校校長余慕潔，校董之一的阮鴻燦都是華人。

查詢詳情或註冊，可上網bhcc.edu/instructionalcenters/，或到校本部， Bunker Hill Community College in Charlestown, Room B202 and Room E235。