 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||
Workforce Solutions Group
The Workforce Solutions Group advocates for an effective workforce development system that increases workers’ skills, advances families to self-sufficiency and promotes job creation and economic growth. The Workforce Solutions Group is a coalition led by the Massachusetts Workforce Board Association, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Women's Union, and the Mass Communities Action Network, and includes Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Community Colleges, and the Massachusetts Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies, The Strategy Group, and the National Network of Sector partners.
The Workforce Solutions Group is funded by SkillWorks a five-year, $15-million investment partnership among local and national foundations, the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts designed to provide Boston with a stream of reliable, skilled employees.
THE WORKFORCE ACCOUNTABILITY TASKFORCE A REFORM AGENDA
Food Stamp Employment and Training Program launched... Food Stamp Employment and Training (FSET) Program has been launched by the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and UMass Medical Center. This program allows organizations to receive a 50% reimbursement from the federal government for all non-federal dollars spent on education and training for non-TANF Food Stamp recipients. This program was part of the Workforce Solutions Act/Economic Stimulus Bill.. Links to the pre-qualification form, which we urge you to fill out as soon as possible if you serve eligible people, and a Fact Sheet on the FSET program. If you submit the pre-qualification form by September 30, 2007, you will have until October 31 to gather and submit all of the required data to DTA. You can be reimbursed for expenses stretching back as far as October 1, 2006. If you have questions about the program please contact Anthony Owumi, Research Analyst University of Massachusetts Medical School Telephone #: 617-886-8107
Educational Rewards Grant Program Established by the Workforce Solutions Act/ Economic Stimulus Bill has been released, applications are now availeble. Information and applications are available at your local One-Stop Career Center or Community College. Click here for more information, This program funds grants of up to $3,000 for students seeking training in a high demand occupations. It gives special attention to low-income working adults and displaced workers. In addition to paying for tuition, these flexible grants may be used to help with living expenses such as transportation and child care.
Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund received 65 proposals from dozens of employer, labor, education and workforce partnerships requesting more than $29 million in funding. Grant decisions were announced June 7, 2007, by Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Suzanne Bump at an event held at Massasoit Community College in Brockton. Secretary Bump was joined by Brockton Mayor James Harrington and Massasoit Community College President Charles Wall in announcing $10 million of grants to 20 partnerships of employers, workers, education, community based and workforce organizations.
Representative Thomas Kennedy joins Ed Lofgren from the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association during the announcement that Massasoit Community College would lead the Jobs in Boating project.
Secretary Bump along with her mother congratulate Michael Martin who provided a moving account on his successful experience in the At Your Service Program, a WCTF grant recipient.
(l-r) President Charles Wall, Mayor James Harrington, Secretary Suzanne Bump
List of awardees Read Governor's Press Release Read Workforce Solutions Group Statement NEWS COVERAGE
Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund Grants Next Round Fall 2007 Read Request for Proposals...RFP The Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF) is the hallmark of the Workforce Solutions Act, a three-year initiative focused on several critical industry sectors. It is designed to enable a broad range of residents—including older workers, low-wage workers, low-income individuals, disabled citizens, vulnerable youth, incumbent workers and the unemployed—to gain access to employment, education and the skills necessary to move forward along a career path leading to economic self-sufficiency. Read more... Focus on jobs programs that work, January 22, 2007 Letter to Editor...Read OP-ED- MASS APPEALS: Advice for the Governor, Robert J. Haynes, William Tinti, Rebuilding the Massachusetts Workorce, Boston Globe Patrick-Murray Transition Team releases Workforce Development and Training Working Group Report PDF
Implementing the Workforce Solutions Act/Economic Stimulus Bill
The Workforce Solutions Group has continued to meet and reach out to our partners to shape the implementation of the proposals we have worked so hard to see enacted in legislation. The following outlines the most recent updates. Click to open WORD documents:
Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund UPDATE Workforce Accountability Task Force UPDATE Food Stamp Employment and Training Program UPDATE [SEE ABOVE] DEPARTMENT OF TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE Overview:
Chapter 123 of the Acts of 2006 AN ACT Relative to Economic Investments in the Commonwealth to Promote Job Creation, Economic Stability, and Competitiveness in the Massachusetts Economy. Final text
Workforce Solutions Group members are working with the state Departments of Workforce Development, Education, Transitional Assistance and the Commonwealth Corporation on implementation of the historic workforce investments in Massachusetts workers and employers passed by the Legislature including the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund; School to Career Connecting Activities; One-Stop Career Centers; Food Stamp Employment and Training Program and Extended Career Career Ladder Initiative. Several members of the WSG are on the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund Advisory Committee and working subcommittees The Mass State Legislature will be leading the Workforce Accountability Task Force to be established following Governor Patrick's appointments.
Read SkillWorks statement on passage of bill Workforce Victory Key Workforce Provisions of Legislature's Economic Stimulus Bill - WSG Budget and Eco Stim Bill...Chart
The WSG participated in the Patrick/Murray Transition Team and Working Group meetings. Read Transition Working Group Reports
For more information contact: Daniel B. Kobayashi Director The Workforce Solutions Group One Washington Mall, 2nd Floor Boston, MA 02108 Tel 617.259.2960 Fax 617.247.8826 dkobayashi@critwomensunion.org
SkillWorks and Workforce Solutions Group Held Workforce Development Governor's Forum with all candidates on on June 29th. Read Boston Herald Article...PDF The Building a 21st Century Workforce forum for the candidates for Massachusetts governor was sponsored by SkillWorks and the Workforce Solutions Group. Read about forum and transcript of remarks.
The Workforce Solutions Group (WSG) is a coalition led by the Massachusetts Workforce Board Association, the Massachusetts Communities Action Network the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and The Women’s Union, that advocates for an effective workforce development system that increases workers’ skills, advances families to self-sufficiency and promotes job creation and economic growth.
For more information about the strategies and programs of SkillWorks, please visit their web site at SkillWorks Find out more about the work and constituencies of our other partners by visiting their web site's below:
More about the Workforce Solutions Group PDF Labor market research reports prepared for the Workforce Solutions Group by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University. List of reports... |
|
