Massachusetts will award approximately $1 million to train certified nurse assistants and home health aides to work in long-term care as part of a total of $6.8 million in workforce development grant funding for 15 initiatives across the commonwealth.
The Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success Grants are funded by the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and administered by Commonwealth Corporation through the state’s Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund. Each awarded grant aims to close the skills gap, increase access to good-paying jobs for unemployed and underemployed residents, and strengthen productivity and workforce needs among employers in regions throughout Massachusetts.
Long-term care providers are involved in two of the grants.
- Health & Home Care Training of New England in Brockton will receive $499,768 to provide training and placement services to 60 unemployed and underemployed participants for CNA and home health aide positions. The organization will partner with St. Joseph’s Manor, Kimwell Nursing & Rehabilitation and Alliance Health at West Acres.
- Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester will receive $499,610 to provide training and placement services, including English for speakers of other languages training, to 60 unemployed and underemployed participants for CNA positions. The school will partner with Salmon Health & Retirement, Christopher House, Overlook Masonic Health Center and Life Care Centers of America.
“The Workforce Success Grants continue our commitment to supporting our workers and providing access to good-paying jobs and long-term career success,” Gov. Maura Healey (D) said in a statement issued in conjunction with the awards announcement. “By providing job training and upskilling for underemployed and unemployed jobseekers, we are helping unlock potential, strengthening competitiveness, and connecting our world class talent with innovative companies across the state.”
Additionally, Workforce Success Grants were awarded for the following healthcare initiatives:
- Asian Women for Health, Boston: $500,000
- Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, Boston: $500,000
- Holyoke Community College, Holyoke: $500,000
- Jewish Vocational Service, Boston: $500,000
- Notre Dame Education Center – Lawrence, Lawrence: $482,430
“The WCTF grants are a critically important and timely investment in the state’s workforce. This investment will help Massachusetts grow its competitive advantage in key sectors while addressing immediate needs, particularly in our healthcare workforce,” said Michael Curry, president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers.
