State Awarded $1M For Registered Apprenticeships

11:01AM / Sunday, September 29, 2024Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — Today, at the Massachusetts Apprenticeship Council meeting, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) awarded $1,052,584 for Massachusetts to support Registered Apprenticeship as a training and employment strategy for emerging industries.

This awarded USDOL grant builds on the Healey-Driscoll Administration's commitment to expand Registered Apprenticeship, a proven workforce strategy that combines technical and on-the-job training for workers, delivers industry-recognized credentials, and increases access to progressive wage increases and good-paying jobs.

"Our administration is committed to expanding Registered Apprenticeship for more industries, supporting business growth, a stronger workforce, and economic competitiveness in regions across Massachusetts," said Governor Maura Healey. "We're grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and USDOL for providing these critical funds to build the workforce we need to deliver on key infrastructure projects, from roads and bridges to clean energy and resiliency in Massachusetts."

Through the USDOL, State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula grants support states to engage industry partners, create post-secondary education career pathways and develop the talent pipeline needed to meet the skill needs of their local labor markets. The investments are part of the second round of State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula funding the department has awarded. The funding advances the Biden-Harris administration's goals to expand, modernize and diversify Registered Apprenticeship for all American workers, including women, people of color, individuals with disabilities and other underserved communities.

The USDOL award for Massachusetts builds on the Healey-Driscoll Administration's commitment to growing Registered Apprenticeship. In February, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced $5 million in Apprenticeship Expansion and Opportunity Grants, including a combination of state and federal funds, to 25 organizations to train and place apprentices across the state. The FY25 budget continued these investments with nearly $3.5 million to support registered apprenticeship and expand to industries like health care, life sciences, education, and advanced manufacturing while also enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion for the construction and building trades. The Healey-Driscoll Administration's $1 billion tax cut package included expanded eligibility for the Registered Apprenticeship Tax Credit, which offers employers a $4,800 credit for each apprentice hired.

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Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

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