FRAMINGHAM, Mass.?— The Healey-Driscoll Administration today celebrated a new collaboration with the state's Workforce Skills Cabinet, Commonwealth Corporation Foundation and the GE Vernova Foundation, awarding $600,000 in grant funding for programs within the Career Technical Initiative (CTI) dedicated to training and preparing the clean energy workforce in Massachusetts. 

 

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, Economic Development Undersecretary Sarah Stanton, and Senate President Karen Spilka made this announcement with the GE Vernova Foundation at the Keefe Regional Technical School in Framingham as part of Massachusetts STEM Week. The grant funding will upgrade technology and instructional lab spaces for schools and institutions in the CTI program focused on job training in solar, wind, or heat pump installation and maintenance. 

 

"The clean energy sector presents enormous opportunities for Massachusetts' economy and workforce – but we need tens of thousands more skilled workers to meet this moment," said Governor Maura Healey. "Our administration is proud to partner with the business community to support schools with purchasing modernized equipment to ensure students are trained with the skills are in demand in today's clean energy economy." 

 

The Commonwealth Corporation Foundation secured funding for the grants through a $300,000 award from the GE Vernova Foundation, with $300,000 in matching funds committed from the Workforce Skills Cabinet, which includes the Executive Offices of Labor and Workforce Development, Education, Economic Development, and Health and Human Services. The Commonwealth Corporation Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, works to bridge resource gaps to target unmet needs in workforce development and by empowering workers and employers in Massachusetts through strategic partnerships with the business community, organized events, and grant-making. 

 

This grant funding will help CTI programs by providing training equipment and allowing those programs to choose their equipment based on the needs and demands of the employers in the region. Additionally, the equipment will allow for professional development training for both CTI and Career and Technical Education school staff. CTI transforms career and technical education schools across the state to become "Career Technical Institutes" that run three shifts a day for skill-building programs, providing adult learners, especially unemployed and underemployed individuals from underserved populations and underrepresented groups, with career training and technical skills to meet the needs of Massachusetts employers.