Mass General Brigham Accepts “Good Jobs Challenge” to Advance Workforce Development in Health Care

Participation in the over $23 Million Collaborative, Multi-Sector Grant award from US Department of Commerce to Help Mass General Brigham in Partnership with UMass Global Foster New Job Creation Pipelines.

BOSTON, MA, September 13, 2022. Recently, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced grant awards to 32 industry-led workforce training partnerships across the country as part of the $500 million Good Jobs Challenge funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. The Good Jobs Challenge is administered by the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration and will enable communities across the country to invest in innovative approaches to workforce development.

As the lead applicant, the Mayor of Boston’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD) brought together partners from key organizations that serve unemployed, underemployed, incumbent workers, community college students, and BIPOC individuals within the Greater Boston Region. Over 100 local employers will create opportunities and connect the region’s workers to training and career pathways within the childcare, healthcare, and clean energy industries, over a three-year grant period, beginning in October 2022.

“This important funding will connect participating residents with more than 4,000 living wage jobs and crucial support services,” said Mayor Wu. “This grant will accelerate our work to make Boston a city for everyone and connect our residents with opportunities in healthcare, child care and clean energy. I’m grateful to the Biden Administration for their partnership and our Office of Workforce Development team for their leadership in securing this critical grant.”

“Employment is empowerment and has numerous benefits for both the individual and the broader community. At Mass General Brigham, each day we see the positive impact a career can have on health and wellness multiplied by recruiting talent from our diverse communities. By participating in this multi-sector grant award, made possible through the leadership of the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD), we will be able to scale some of the many accomplishments we have realized to date through our longstanding partnership with the OWD and gain the funding to expand our work with UMass Global, a partnership we see as vital to our ongoing work to ensure that the people in our organization reflect the diverse communities we are so proud to serve,” said Rosemary Sheehan, Chief Human Resources Officer, Mass General Brigham.

Sectors included in the sizeable grant are Child Care, Clean Energy and Health Care, each led by a “Backbone Organization,” which will convene and coordinate the many employers and training partners in its industry-specific work with within the Regional Workforce Training System (RWTS) serving Greater Boston. For Health Care, the MassHire Boston Workforce Board (Boston PIC) will fulfill that role.

As part of this collective effort, Mass General Brigham plans to partner with UMass Global to train candidates to enter roles such as Patient Care Technician, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, Practice/Administrative Assistant, Phlebotomist; Pharmacy Technician and EKG Technician. Other high-demand roles may be added over the 3-year grant period; the grant period has an anticipated start date of September 1, 2022, and all grant activities must conclude by September 30, 2027. Other health care employers, community colleges and various partners will be working on additional roles and the collaborative effort will help to build local pipeline programs and system capacity, which will benefit all health care employers.

“At UMass Global, we take seriously the need to ensure that people of all backgrounds have access to programs that can prepare them to serve as front-line health care workers within Mass General Brigham,” said UMass Global Chancellor David Andrews. “The mayor’s Good Jobs initiative will bolster our ability to help even more Boston area residents gain the skills they need to qualify for these important career opportunities.”

The 32 winning projects nationally were selected from a competitive pool of 509 applicants. By partnering with labor unions, community colleges, industry, and other stakeholders, these projects will solve for local talent needs and increase the supply of trained workers and help workers secure jobs in 15 key industries that are essential to U.S. supply chains, global competitiveness, and regional development. This funding will advance a broad range of sectors—including agriculture and food production, energy and resilience, healthcare, manufacturing, and information technology—jumpstarting the design, development, implementation, and expansion of training programs that are tailored specifically to each community.

“A trained workforce is essential to ensuring that the United States can compete and succeed in the 21st century,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan, the Commerce Department is able to make once-in-a-generation investments in industry-driven, and locally-led workforce systems that will create high-quality jobs and accelerate regional economic growth, especially for underserved communities.”

For information about opportunities at Mass General Brigham visit the careers page.