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Workforce Development Grantmaking

The Office of Workforce Development (OWD) supports many organizations through a variety of funding sources, each with its own purpose. Additionally, OWD often offers various funding opportunities.

Funding Opportunities

City Academy Bridge Programming ConsultanT - Request for Proposals #EV00015020  

City Academy is a free training pipeline that prepares Boston residents for entry-level City positions that offer: good pay at or above Boston’s Living Wage (currently $18.20/hr), health benefits, pensions, union membership, and opportunities for advancement. The program has two training tracks:

  1. Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) & Hoisting Training which prepares residents for jobs that require a CDL and/or Hoisting license for potential placement in various City departments.
  2. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Training which prepares residents to be eligible for employment as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) with Boston EMS. 

The Office of Workforce Development (OWD) is seeking a service provider to develop and deliver job readiness curriculum that will be provided to adult learners (18+) to create a pipeline of qualified students participating in training in two career tracks: 1) attainment of a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and Hoisting License, or 2) becoming qualified for a position as an Emergency Medical Technical (EMT).  The training and supportive services should be designed to serve the workforce development needs of the community, integrating job readiness curricula with occupation-specific workforce preparation, employment-related competencies, and academic preparation and study skills to support placement in entry-level City of Boston jobs. 

IMPORTANT DATES:
  • RFP Issue Date: October 21, 2024, at 9 AM | View the RFP here.
  • Virtual Information Session and Q&A: October 30, 2024, at 10:30 AM | Register here
  • Questions are due via email to tatiana.joyce@boston.govNovember 4, 2024, by 5 PM
  • Proposal Due Date: November 26, 2024 at 5 PM
CONTACT INFORMATION: 

Tatiana Joyce | tatiana.joyce@boston.gov 

All questions should be emailed with the RFP number (EV00015020) in the subject line.

Good Jobs Metro Boston Coalition Wraparound Supports Framework Implementation - REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #EV00014963

The Office of Workforce Development (OWD) received funding as a part of the EDA’s FY2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Good Jobs Challenge. These funds are being used to train and place 4,618 participants into quality jobs in the Metro Boston region over the course of a three-year grant period spanning from September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2025. The initiative, coined the Good Jobs Metro Boston Coalition, focuses on three industries of need: Healthcare, Clean Energy, and Child Care. 

OWD set aside approximately $1M in administrative funding to provide financial wraparound supportive services to GJMBC participants. EDIC/OWD in collaboration with Metropolitan Area Planning Council met with key coalition stakeholders to identify seven (7) proposed “menu” of financial wraparound services: Transportation (MBTA monthly LinkPass, gas vouchers, etc.), Childcare, Food, Clothing/Supplies, Communications, ESOL Services, and Other Educational Services. 

In January 2024, OWD contracted with Unite USA, Inc. (Unite Us) to house requests for specific wraparound supportive services and backup documentation affirming the eligibility of those services to the Coalition. The Unite Us platform launched in April 2024, with six (6) GJMBC partner organizations signed on to use the platform for a total of $388,500. The Unite Us platform has not been widely adopted by GJMBC contracted partners for various reasons, resulting in limited requests for wraparound supportive services. With an additional $641,606 in unallocated funds designated for wraparound supportive services, this funding could support 1,283 GJMBC participants. The funding available is $150,000 and OWD is seeking a consultant(s) who can support six (6) contracted partners in creating spending plans for their wraparound funds and conduct outreach, onboarding, and support to additional providers to use unallocated funds.

IMPORTANT DATES:
  • RFP Issue Date: October 21, 2024, at 9 AM | View the RFP here.
  • Virtual Information Session and Q&A: November 7, 2024, at 2 PM Register here.
  • Questions are due via email to abigail.cross@boston.govNovember 8, 2024, by 5 PM
  • Proposal Due Date: November 25, 2024 at 5 PM
CONTACT INFORMATION:

Abigail Cross | abigail.cross@boston.gov

All questions should be emailed with the RFP number (EV00014963) in the subject line.

The Digital Literacy (DigLit) Initiative - Request for Grant Applications

The Office of Workforce Development (OWD) administers funding to support services such as education and job training. OWD has secured funding through the Department of Labor’s FY 2023 Community Project Funding, authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. This funding will be used to expand the Digital Literacy Initiative (DigLit), aimed at enhancing digital skills among individuals facing employment barriers.

A 2021 OWD survey revealed significant challenges in digital infrastructure, internet access, and digital literacy skills training among its workforce development training and Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs. In response, this opportunity aims to build capacity and enhance digital capabilities, equipping occupational training providers with skills and capacity to increase and improve the quality of the digital literacy instruction offered to their training participants within their training programs. Following a successful pilot in collaboration with the City of Boston’s Adult Literacy Initiative (ALI) involving 25 ABE providers, this round of the DigLit Initiative is poised to improve training participants' employability and support their personal and professional development. This round of DigLit funding will target 15–20 occupational training providers, enabling them to deliver high-quality digital literacy instruction within their programs. A total of $1,000,000 has been allocated to:

  1. fund World Education, the consultant providing technical assistance and professional development in digital literacy instruction, and
  2. provide training programs with flexible funds for staff compensation for participation in professional development coaching and the community of practice and technology purchases (e.g., laptops, smartboards, curriculum materials, software, tablets).

Funding may also cover resources such as Wi-Fi access and hotspots to strengthen digital literacy and technology-based learning capacity. The final grant amounts will be determined based on the total number of selected awardees. Awards will range from approximately $30,000 to $40,000, with the specific amount allocated to each grantee contingent on the total number of successful applicants. This approach allows us to maximize the impact of the available resources across a diverse group of awardees.

Important Information
  • View the full RFGA
  • A virtual information session will be held on Monday, October 28, 2024 at 10 a.m. Register via Zoom here.
  • All questions about the RFGA must be submitted by Thursday, November 21, 2024, 5 p.m. Email questions to Brooke Machado at brooke.machado@boston.gov.
  • Applications are due Tuesday, November 26, 2024 by 5 p.m. Applications must be submitted through the online form here
Healthcare Labor and Workforce Needs Analysis - Request for Proposals

The Office of Workforce Development (OWD) works toward the full participation of all Boston residents in the city’s economic vitality and future. It connects low-income residents with job training and employment opportunities and also promotes lifelong literacy and educational pathways. OWD focuses on competitive workforce development initiatives and policies. These initiatives aim to put Boston’s youth and adults on career paths toward economic security.

The healthcare sector is integral to Boston’s labor market and economy. OWD estimates that over 123,000 workers were employed in the Ambulatory Health Care Services, Hospitals, and Nursing and Residential Care Facilities industries in Boston in 2023. Additionally, OWD awarded  $4.7M to launch and support the Life Sciences Workforce Development Initiative (LSWDI), which aims to aims to train and place 1000 Boston residents in life sciences career pathways. OWD estimates that employment in the healthcare sector will grow by over 25,000 jobs between 2024 and 2034. On account of the burgeoning workforce needs in both healthcare and life sciences, OWD aims to maximize job placement outcomes for both sectors as possible. This analysis would identify areas where training through the LSWDI can meet healthcare labor demand.

Training a diverse workforce to meet future labor demand in the healthcare sector is critical to OWD workforce development strategies in 2024 and beyond. Toward that aim, the City of Boston seeks a technical consultant to conduct an analysis of current and future labor demand in the City’s healthcare sector with an interest in life sciences occupations within the sector, assess the ability of Boston’s workforce development system to meet that demand equitably and effectively and provide recommendations to inform OWD’s strategic decision-making. 

The aim of the workforce needs analysis is to assess the adequacy of the Boston area labor supply and skills match to meet anticipated labor demand in the healthcare sector; and to recommend actions to prepare workers to meet these workforce demands, prioritizing equity, inclusion, and job quality. The assessment will primarily be used to formulate workforce training, planning, and employer engagement.

The City of Boston will provide up to a maximum of $100,000 in funding for the execution of this Workforce Needs Assessment study.

Request For Proposal (RFP) TIMELINE

Request for Qualifications Issued: September 30, 2024

View the full RFP

A virtual info session was held on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Watch the recording hereYou must register and use passcode: *.0prkMZ 

View the RFP Q&A

Letter of Intent (LOI) to Bid Deadline (Optional):  October 25, 2024, by 5:00 p.m. | Submit and LOI here.

RFP Deadline: October 31, 2024, by 5:00 p.m.

  1. Submit Technical Proposals
  2. Submit Price Proposals

Notification of Selection: December 5, 2024

Anticipated Contract Start Date: December 9, 2024

Good Jobs Metro Boston Coalition Wraparound Supports - Request for Grant Applications

The Office of Workforce Development (OWD) received funding as a part of the EDA’s FY2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Good Jobs Challenge. These funds will be used to train and place 4,618 participants into quality jobs in the Metro Boston region over the course of a three-year grant period spanning from September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2025.

The initiative, coined the Good Jobs Metro Boston Coalition, focuses on three industries of need: Healthcare, Clean Energy, and Child Care. Each targeted industry is led by a “Backbone Organization (BBO)” that serves as a leader and convener within its respective industry. The Backbone Organization for Health Care is the MassHire Boston Workforce Board (Boston PIC), for Clean Energy, Franklin Cummings Tech (FCT), and for Child Care, the Community Advocates for Young Learners (CAYL) Institute.

OWD set aside approximately $1M in administrative funding to provide financial wraparound supportive services to GJMBC participants. This funding is intended to serve approximately 40% of participants (1,847 participants). This funding could not address all of a person’s needs; the aim is to apply the funding strategically to mitigate key unmet, training-related needs, acknowledging that these may vary.

With this in mind, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and EDIC/OWD met with key coalition stakeholders to identify a “menu” of financial wraparound services that would be targeted with this funding. The idea is that should a participant demonstrate need, they would be able to choose the area(s) where they need the most support. This way, the funding could be tailored to participant needs. The seven (7) proposed “menu” items identified are as follows:

  1. Transportation (MBTA monthly LinkPass, gas vouchers, etc.)
  2. Childcare
  3. Food
  4. Clothing/Supplies
  5. Communications
  6. ESOL Services 
  7. Education Support Services

OWD wants to extend its wraparound support services through Unite Us to eligible high-quality job training programs in Greater Boston that are affiliated with BBOs. Organizations applying to this opportunity must have an established high-quality job training program in one of the three targeted sectors and engagement with one of the Backbone Organizations. Training program participants have a demonstrated financial need for wraparound support services as determined by the organization. Wraparound services are not an entitlement. They are based on the unique financial and employment/training needs of each participant.

Important Dates:
  • Application Launch: Monday, September 23, 2024
  • A virtual info session was held on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Watch the recording hereYou must register and use passcode: =070uJyu

  • Application Deadline: Friday, November 8, 2024
  • Awards Announced: Thursday, November 21, 2024

All applications and required documents are due by the deadline. No extensions will be granted. Applications will only be accepted through the online form.

View the full RFGA

Apply online

RFGA Q&A

Types of Grants

Grants

Through the Alternative Education Initiative (AEI), the City of Boston supports youth working toward their high school diploma or equivalent. AEI funds alternative education programs where youth receive wrap-around services and develop workforce readiness skills.

  • Target PopulationBoston youth ages 16–24.

The City of Boston receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 15% of this money can be used for human service programming. The Office of Workforce Development (OWD) manages this portion of the CDBG allocation. Through this funding, OWD issues competitive Requests for Proposals to fund Boston non-profits that serve youth and adults. These funds are intended to be used to provide support services to enable individuals to access education or job training and, in turn, obtain the kinds of jobs capable of moving people out of poverty.

  • Target Population: Low-income Boston residents of all ages. 
  • Funding Timeline1-year contract, July 1- June 30. 2-year funding cycle with open and competitive every other year. 2025 will be a refunding year. The next open and competitive funding opportunity will be in 2026.
  • Applicant Requirements501c3 organizations or fiscal sponsors that are 501c3.

The Good Jobs Metro Boston Coalition (GJMBC) aims to train and place residents in 4,618 quality jobs in childcare, healthcare, and clean energy industries. This program is funded by a $23M Good Jobs Challenge grant awarded to the Office of Workforce Development by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). 

  • Target Population: Unemployed and underemployedincumbent workerscommunity college students, and BIPOC individuals in the Greater Boston Region.

This statement was prepared by the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation of Boston using federal funds under award ED22HDQ3070112 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The Greater Boston Equitable Apprenticeship Pathways (GBEAP) program connects Boston residents to pre-apprenticeships leading to Registered Apprenticeship programs in construction, hospitality, healthcare, and the life sciences. This program is funded by a four-year, $3M Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) grant awarded to the Office of Workforce Development by the U.S. Department of Labor. 

The Greater Boston Equitable Apprenticeship Pathways Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor as part of an award totaling 100% of $3M with 0% of $0 state, local, and/or non-federal sources.

Boston's Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I Youth funds are distributed to alternative education, career exploration, and training programs. Youth have the opportunity to earn a high school diploma or its equivalent, gain work experience, and/or earn a recognized certificate.

  • Target Population: Opportunity youth in Boston ages 18-24. Programs must include 2 steps in their career pathways.
  • Funding Timeline: 1-year contract, July 1- June 30. 3-year funding cycle with open and competitive every 2 years. This year will open and be competitive for Fiscal Year 2026. 
  • Applicant Requirements: Program participants must be Boston residents ages 14-24 who face a barrier to employment. Entities applying for funding must be 501c3.

YouthWorks is a state-funded youth employment program administered by Commonwealth Corporation. Through the YouthWorks Summer Jobs grant and the YouthWorks Year-Round Jobs grant, the Office of Workforce Development (OWD) ensures that Boston youth ages 14-24 are employed throughout the year. OWD uses these funds to support non-profits that provide Boston youth with these services.

  • Target Population: Boston youth ages 14-24

Who We Fund

Who We Fund

Organization Name

Description 

African Bridge Network*

The Immigrant Professionals Fellowship (Fellowship) addresses the “lack of U.S. working experience” barrier that prevents many skilled immigrants from accessing mid-level jobs. It is a learn-and-earn program that combines training, a subsidized work placement, and support to transition to full-time employment.

Artists for Humanity, Inc. 

Provide creative employment, marketable professional skills, educational support, and attainment services, and pathways to industry careers to Boston’s low-income teens, with a specific focus on our cohort of participants in their senior year of HS. 

Boston Asian Youth 

Essential Service (Boston Asian YES)

This funding will service 20 low-income youth and young adults, ages 16-26, Boston residents, primarily from Asian immigrant families, who are struggling in school and at risk of dropping out/getting pushed out; are youth with disabilities, youth no longer in school and are under/unemployed, and may need alternative education, job training, economic security services.

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)

BCNC's Customer Focused Industry Recognized Sales Training (CustomerFIRST) empowers low-income, unemployed, or underemployed adult immigrants with limited English proficiency to secure gainful employment in the customer service industry and gain a Direct Contact Service Professional Certification from the National Customer Service Association, a certification that is recognized by the US Department of Labor.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester (BGCD)

Destination U, BGCD’s innovative career pathways program,  creates a high-impact journey for low-income Bostonians ages 14-24 to identify, pursue, and ultimately transition into their own unique post-secondary “destinations.”

Brighter Boston*

This program will offer communities historically excluded from the entertainment industry a direct path to a career in live entertainment. Participants will be prepared to enter the freelance creative workforce upon completion of the 48 week program making an average rate of $25/hr. Participants under this initiative, the “Career Program,” will select a career pathway of their choice, Lighting, Audio, Video, or Set Construction for live events, be offered paid technical training and internship placement, professional mentorship, and coaching for career and life.

Casa Myrna Vazquez, Inc.

Casa Myrna’s Economic Stability Program, with a focus on our Empowerment through Employment activities, provides survivors of domestic violence with financial literacy education and coaching; individual career, educational and financial counseling; access to a workforce development partnership; comprehensive income maximization services and support; and matched savings and debt reduction. 

Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston Inc. DBA Haitian Multi-Service Center 

HMSC will support adult education, job training, and workforce development programming with a focus on providing workforce development ESOL classes during the academic calendar. 

Community Servings 

Community Servings’ Teaching Kitchen (TK) program is a free, twelve-week job training program that helps trainees launch full-time careers in the culinary industry through a continuum of services, including food service, job readiness, and life skills training, case management and job placement supports, digital and financial literacy education, subsidized training/work opportunities, and connections to a network of employment and referral partners.

Development Evaluation and Adjustment Facilities, Inc. (DEAF Inc.)

DEAF Inc. will provide Boston residents 18 and older who are Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing or Late Deafened (“Deaf”) with support to maximize their economic security including assessment of their current economic situation, identifying gaps, and case management support. 

Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation 

Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC) was founded in 1979 by local civic associations to address the problems resulting from the chronic disinvestment undermining Roxbury and Dorchester neighborhoods. They will provide 1:1 pre-to-post employment case management services, including culturally and linguistically appropriate employment, opportunities, economic security workshops/training sessions, and connections to wraparound service providers and resources.

East Boston Social Centers

Eastie Achievers is a place-based career readiness program exposing East Boston youth to the early education career path through their work as associates in their four early education centers. 

Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath)

This funding will support the Mobility Action Plan (MAP). MAP is a comprehensive program designed to assist individuals with low incomes in the City of Boston who are interested in enhancing their career and educational prospects in order to achieve self-sufficiency. Through MAP, participants receive a range of services including career development guidance, assistance in acquiring educational credentials, and support for their families.

Fenway Community Development Corporation 

Fenway CDC serves 18–64-year-old unemployed or low-income Boston residents. They will provide counseling, service referrals, case management, and programs. They aim to place more residents into jobs in diverse sectors with robust career paths including health care and Information Technology.

Friends of St. Stephen's Youth Programs* 

The long-term goal of their Ladders of Opportunity project is that participants achieve economic mobility for themselves and their families, by creating a talent pipeline that develops parents into educators who represent students’ cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds, and are trained in culturally relevant methodology.

Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center 

This program is a need-based and one-on-one case management type of social services program. The target population is Boston’s Asian senior residents aged 60 and over.  The program’s goal is to empower the target population to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers to access mainstream services so that they can secure and stabilize their financial, housing and health insurance situations and can continue to live independently at home in the community.

Hyde Square Task Force

Jovenes en Accion and Caminos will provide a multi-year mentoring continuum of year-round high school, college, and career development support services to primarily Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) youth from low-income Boston households.

International Institute of New England* 

IINE’s Bridge to IT Proficiency program will provide participants with a culturally and linguistically accommodating career counseling and education continuum, that includes at least 60 hours of digital literacy training on essential computer and software skills, including Salesforce, C++, and Cybersecurity, that lead to job placements in Boston.

Interseminarian - Project Place, Inc. 

Project Place’s Career Tracks program is a comprehensive workforce development initiative tailored to adults experiencing homelessness and/or poverty in Boston. The Career Tracks program provides a continuum of care, including education/training, transitional employment, career services, and wraparound case management, aimed at fostering economic mobility and stability.

Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation 

The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) provides integrated Family Prosperity Services to help primarily Latinx adults in Boston move step by step toward living income and financial security.

Justice Resource Institute, Inc. DBA STRIVE Boston

STRIVE Boston (STRIVE), a program of Justice Resource Institute, Inc. (JRI), proposes to provide its internationally renowned workforce development training and placement model to 33 low-income Boston residents ages 18 and up, with a focus on BIPOC individuals, re-entry and/or court-involved individuals; and long-term underemployed or unemployed individuals. 

La Allianza Hispana 

La Allianza Hispana will extend its services to 150 participants who are seniors and persons with disabilities, low income, with limited English proficiency, Boston residents in need of individually customized wrap-around program design services to maximize and manage their own finances and increase their access to services, opportunities for jobs, knowledge of computers, and economic security that support their independence.

MAB Community Services, Inc.  

MAB Community Services and the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MAB/MABVI) have operated the Boston Visually Impaired Elder’s Program for more than 30 years. The program helps participants gain digital literacy, maintain economic security, and age in peace. Their emphasis is on serving diverse and underserved communities through community partnerships. 

Madison Park Development Corporation 

Madison Park Development Corporation’s (MPDC) Opportunity Employment Program (OEP) serves opportunity youth of color primarily from the Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods of Boston, some of whom are currently or have previously been court-involved.  Piloted in 2016, OEP provides comprehensive work readiness, career exploration, mentoring, mental health support, case management, and, among youth without a high school diploma, in-house HiSET classes that prepare participants for high school equivalency credential. 

Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers

MAPS’ Boston Immigrant Integration Services (IIS) expands career and economic security services for Portuguese speakers, especially in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Allston-Brighton. IIS has provided culturally/ linguistically competent services for low-income Brazilians, Cabo Verdeans, and others in Boston for over 20 years.

Mothers for Justice and Equality 

Founded in 2010, MJE provides trauma-informed workforce development training to support single mothers, and low-income individuals with employment outcomes, promoting economic stability and mobility.

Mujeres Unidas Avanzando (MUA)

MUA’s mission is to provide the low-income Latinx community and other immigrants the tools and resources needed to empower themselves and effect liberating changes in their lives, those of their families, and society at large.

New England Culinary Arts Training - NECAT

NECAT requests grant funding for our Culinary Arts Job Training Program, which trains and supports low-income and very low-income adults facing barriers to employment at our Boston Training Center, ESOL program at the East Boston YMCA, and Behind the Walls program at the Suffolk County House of Correction (SCHC).

Partners for Youth with Disabilities 

Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD)’s Career Readiness program is an inclusive career readiness program for low-income youth with disabilities. For over 25 years, PYD has partnered with Boston Public Schools (BPS) to address employment barriers for youth with disabilities by preparing participants for employment, post-secondary education, and independent living.

Rian Immigrant Center 

Rian will assist 30-40 Boston immigrants in the next year as they take steps toward stable employment and living wages. Their Education team provides:

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, 

Digital Literacy Courses, and

Citizenship Tutoring among other services.

Roxbury Stone House Inc.

This program will assist clients with employment readiness and financial training, as well as support employment opportunities and an economic security program that will guide low and very low-income Boston domestic violence survivors.

Saint Francis House* 

St. Francis House (SFH) is the largest daytime shelter in Massachusetts, helping adults experiencing or vulnerable to homelessness on a pathway to stability in housing, income, and behavioral health.

Somali Development Center 

The Somali Development Center (SDC) is working to expand and strengthen employment assistance and career development services and supports for those individuals using services provided by SDC, especially those enrolled in the Road to Economic Self-Sufficiency (RESS) and the English for Adult Learners of Other Languages (ESOL) programs.

Southwest Boston Senior Services DBA Ethos 

The Boston Money Management Program (BMMP) is a free service that assists low-income, vulnerable elderly and disabled adults throughout Boston who have difficulty with the routine tasks of money management. 

The Boston Higher Education Resource Center 

Boston HERC’s Passport to College and Alumni Success Programs provide a continuum of services propelling hundreds of low-income, first-generation Boston Public School youth onto post-secondary education, into 21st-century careers, and out of the grip of poverty. 

West End House 

College and Career Pathways Program (Pathways) provides a continuum of college and career readiness programming for youth and young adults ages 12 to 24.

X-Cel Education

The X-Cel Post-Secondary Transition Program's primary focus is on career exploration, academic preparation, and supportive services designed to bolster post-secondary credential completion.

YMCA of Greater Boston DBA Training Inc. 

Training, Inc. offers comprehensive career pathways in Medical Administration or Property Management. The core components of the Training, Inc program include 10-16 weeks of job training in core professional skills; specialized skills training; job simulation; internships; and mentorship and advising.  

ZUMIX

ZUMIX provides low-income, underserved, and at-risk Boston-area youth ages 12-18 with opportunities for increased academic achievement, workforce development training, and paid employment. Their mission is to empower young people to build successful futures for themselves - transforming lives and communities through music, technology, and creative employment.  

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center

EBNHC will recruit and train East Boston residents as pharmacy technicians. Upon certification, students will be eligible for living-wage employment at EBNHC. 

Organization

Industry

Program Description

African Bridge Network (ABN)

Healthcare and Finance

ABN’s Immigrant Professionals Internship program places individuals in paid, 10-week internships with healthcare and finance employers to support skilled immigrants to transition their work experience from their home countries to professional careers in Boston's high growth industries.

Asian American Civic Association (AACA)

Building Trades 

The BEEMS program trains students in basic carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and energy efficiency and prepares them for in-demand, high-wage careers at property management companies, hotels, and maintenance firms.

Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology

Building Trades

FCT proposes an occupation skills training program to support individuals facing barriers to employment to pursue a certificate in the clean energy trades of HVAC&R and Practical Electricity. Programs are in the high demand industry of Construction Trades and can be completed in less than a year.

BEST Corp

Hospitality 

BEST hospitality Pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs provide training for high quality hotel jobs with graduates receiving industry recognized certifications and college credits. This program will provide extensive case management and wrap around services through their partnership with Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD).

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)

ESOL/Customer Service 

The ESOL for Customer Service job training program integrates ESOL instruction with general workplace and industry-specific skills and includes individual career counseling and case management services.

Breaktime

Youth Employment and Career Development

Breaktime uses a transitional employment model combining elements of Learn-and-Earn and occupational skills training to ensure that homeless young adults can secure stable employment, permanent housing, and financial empowerment.

Catholic Charities/Haitian American Multi-Service Center (HMSC)

ESOL/ Healthcare and Human Services

HMSC’s ESOL for employment program provides contextualized ESOL classes embedded in an occupation training program for individuals interested in professions in healthcare and human services. 

Charlestown Adult Education (CAE)

ABE/ ESOL/ Healthcare/ Building Trades 

CAE proposes a job training program with comprehensive wraparound services, including ABE and ESOL classes, case management services, career exploration support, and financial literacy courses, supporting participants to obtain jobs in healthcare or construction. The majority of those served will be residents of Charlestown BHA housing, English Language Learners, or court-involved youth.

Community Servings

Culinary

The Teaching Kitchen’s 12-week culinary program provides a pathway to permanent employment in food services for high-need Boston residents experiencing multiple barriers to employment such as criminal records, poverty, substance use disorder, and homelessness through skills training and supportive services.  

Community Works Services (CWS)

Building Trades 

The Solar Technician Training program is a comprehensive 15-week training, with wrap-around support services, preparing participants for quality jobs in the expanding clean energy industry. Graduates will receive nationally recognized certifications in solar and wind technologies as well as earn 3 college credits.

English for New Bostonians (ENB)

ESOL

The ESOL Economic Mobility Initiative will support 13 ESOL Pathways programs providing contextualized ESOL for employment.

Immigrant Family Services Institute (IFSI)

ESOL

IFSI will assist low-level English speakers with ESOL instruction and career-focused training classes in healthcare along with computer skills and financial literacy classes. Located in Mattapan, the program focuses on serving recent immigrants, supporting a growing population of Haitian immigrants in Boston. 

Interseminarian- Project Place

Logistics 

The LEAP program will provide comprehensive job training, employment, and support services to homeless and low-income individuals via occupational skills training and learn-and-earn pathways to employment in modern logistics (transportation, warehousing, and delivery). 

Jewish Vocational Services (JVS)

Healthcare

JVS proposes a Certified Nursing Assistant and Pharmacy Technician training program to prepare Boston residents for careers in healthcare, equipping graduates to obtain industry recognized certifications. 

More Than Words (MTW)

Youth Employment and Career Development 

MTW blends workforce training, youth development, deliberate transition planning, and individual and systems-level advocacy to prepare young people (primarily homeless youth and young people at risk of homelessness) for future education, employment, and self-sufficiency.

Mothers for Justice and Equality

Healthcare and Administration 

MJE’s transitional employment program provides job skills training in administration for non-profits, health care, and academia. Primarily serving low-income residents in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan, MJE offers trauma-informed case management and supportive services for individuals struggling with the impacts of violence. 

Mujeres Unidas Avanzando

ESOL/ Healthcare

MUA’s program will help English Language Learners to complete a Medical Assistant Training (CMA) program, consisting of 320 hours of instruction followed by a 160-hour externship.

New England Culinary Arts Training (NECAT)

Culinary 

NECAT provides a 12-week culinary skills training program to prepare Boston residents, including returning citizens, people experiencing homelessness, and individuals in substance abuse recovery, for careers in restaurant and hotel kitchens. The program combines training in socio-emotional development, career readiness, and industry specific training. 

Operation ABLE Greater Boston

Healthcare 

The ABLE Medical Office Skills Training Program combines job training, digital literacy, and soft skills development with 6-week internships to support older adults re-entering the workforce.

Per Scholas

IT 

Per Scholas provides occupation skills training for individuals from traditionally underserved populations to prepare them for a variety of tech roles including IT support, Cloud Practitioner, and Software Engineer with starting salaries between $65,000 - $120,000 annually. 

Resilient Coders

IT 

Resilient Coders offers a remote coding bootcamp to prepare young (18-30 year old) Boston residents of color for careers as full stack developers and software engineers, with graduates obtaining jobs with employers such as Wayfair, Audible, and The Broad Institute.  

SkillWorks - The Boston Foundation

Multiple 

SkillWorks is a nationally recognized, Boston-based funder collaborative that acts as a workforce intermediary to pool funding from public, private, and corporate philanthropy and create a flexible set of resources that can be steered towards innovative solutions, capacity building, and system improvement.

Tech Goes Home

IT 

Tech Goes Home will partner with a variety of occupational skills training programs to integrate digital literacy skills training into existing programs through a “train the trainer” model. 

Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (ULEM)

IT 

MSIMBO Coding Academy is a social enterprise and workforce development bootcamp program offering full-stack training and career placement to underserved individuals (primarily women and African Americans/people of color).

X-CEL Inc

Water Treatment 

X-Cel Conservation Corps prepares young adults for the MA Grade 3 municipal wastewater operator licensure by combining classroom instruction and conservation work projects. In addition to obtaining an industry recognized certification in a field with an average starting salary of $25.85/hr, participants will receive assistance obtaining a driver's license, and a used vehicle.

YMCA of Greater Boston

Early Childhood Education

YMCA of Greater Boston will provide an Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Summer Academy program.

 

The Alternative Education Initiative (AEI) supports alternative education programs that provide young Boston residents, ages 16-21, with help pursuing their high school diploma or its equivalent, workforce readiness skills, and various wrap-around services.

Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) supports at-risk high school students to earn a Boston Public Schools diploma at University High School.

Bridge over Troubled Waters provides a HiSET program for youth experiencing homeless and housing instability.

Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, Inc. supports communities throughout Eastern Massachusetts by providing services to the most vulnerable populations.

Ecumenical Social Action Committee, Inc. (ESAC) is a community-based nonprofit and multi-service agency that strives to improve the quality of life for residents of Boston and eastern Massachusetts. ESAC provides HiSET preparation, as well as career exploration, skill-building, internship, and employment opportunities.

El Centro del Cardenal, a program of Catholic Charities, provides bilingual alternative education and employment services for at-risk, primarily Latinx, youth.

Mujeres Unidas Avanzando prepares low-income Latina youth to take the HiSET exam in Spanish.

Notre Dame Education Center runs an alternative high school diploma program in partnership with Cathedral High School, which includes a weekly college and career readiness class.

X-Cel Education offers HiSET preparation classes, career exploration opportunities, and post-secondary transition services to youth.

Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) supports at-risk high school students to earn their Boston Public Schools diploma at University High School. Through its Career Explorations program, ABCD exposes young people to career tracks in the building trades, criminal justice, culinary arts, early education and care, and health care and helps them acquire the necessary work experience or credential to enter one of those fields.

Asian American Civic Association, through its "Hire Values" program, provides out-of-school youth (ages 16-24) with career exploration and skills training opportunities, as well as help enrolling in and completing educational programs.

College Bound Dorchester prepares high-risk, out-of-school youth for the HiSET exam, provides coaching in the college application and completion process, and offers apprenticeship opportunities in boat-building.

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center provides holders of high school (or equivalent) diplomas with certified nursing assistant (CNA) training, including college credit-bearing classes and internship opportunities.

El Centro del Cardenal offers a HiSET and internship placement program, along with tutoring in ESOL.

More Than Words employs youth in paid shifts at a warehouse bookstore, where they can learn technical, entrepreneurial and work readiness skills as they process online orders, set inventory goals, run the register, and provide customer service.

Mujeres Unidas Avanzado (MUA) helps youth attain the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET in Spanish); enroll in a Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) training program and complete and externship and job placement with various employer partners, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Dorchester House Multi-Service Center; and through two career coaches, access other work opportunities and work experience through MUA's network of referrals and other job partners, such as Breaktime.

Notre Dame Education Center (NDEC) in South Boston offer low-income, out of school youth (ages 18-24) a multi-step pathway from secondary education completion to post-secondary education and career. This program includes an Alternate Education Program to attain a high school diploma (HSD) from Cathedral High School or gain a high school equivalency (HSE), access to Early College Program for dual enrollment in post-secondary education while completing a high-school credential and supported entrance, including scholarship funds, into a first year of post-secondary education at Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology.

X-Cel Education offers HiSET classes, college and career planning, and internship opportunities with community partners.

Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) provides job placement in day care, camps, health, building trades, library/science, office work, food service, and outdoor/maintenance primarily to youth who are court-involved, in foster care or homeless.

Youth Engagement & Employment connects youth with a variety of summer jobs through its SuccessLink application system.

Boston Private Industry Council connects BPS students and recovered dropouts or those who are at risk of dropping out with employment in churches, child care centers, boys and girls clubs and similar venues.

YOU Boston supports court-involved and/or gang-affiliated youth in jobs in construction, facilities maintenance, retail, landscaping, and residential and commercial painting.

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