Nonprofit

The Workforce Solutions Group

Logo of The Workforce Solutions Group

About Us

The Workforce Solutions Group is a statewide coalition led by the Crittenton Women's Union, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Massachusetts Communities Action Network, the Center for Labor Market Studies, the Massachusetts Workforce Board Association, and the Massachusetts Association of Workforce Professionals.

  • Formed in 2003 through a grant from SkillWorks, the Workforce Solutions Group has been a major player behind the scenes, setting the state’s agenda for skills training and workforce development, leading to major advances in workforce development programs across the state.
  • This broad coalition brings together a diverse range of employers, unions, education and training providers, community colleges, immigrant advocates, workforce investment boards, and interfaith organizations united by their common interest in having a strong and effective workforce development system.
  • Through advocacy led by the WSG and its member groups, the state has added more than $60M in new workforce funding for the state of Massachusetts.
  • The Workforce Solutions Group hosts the annual MA Jobs and Workforce Summit, issues research reports on the labor economy, and advocates for post secondary training and education in high demand industries.

Accomplishments include:

  • Creation and funding of the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund in the 2006 Economic Stimulus Bill. WCTF has since distributed $18M in funding for sector partnerships across the state in industries with critical vacancy rates
  • Creation of the $1.5M Educational Rewards Grants program for part-time college students.
  • Attainment of $8M in supplemental funding for ABE, School-to-Career, and One-Stop Career Centers.
  • $6M to support sector partnerships in the 2004 Economic Stimulus Bill.
  • Changes to the state’s Food Stamp Employment Training Program to allow community-based organizations to draw down more federal reimbursements for providing job training to food stamp recipients.
  • The formation of a Workforce Accountability Task Force to address performance, governance and coordination within the workforce system
  • Restoration of the Workforce Training Fund in the FY2011 budget providing $24 million in skills training to workers and businesses in MA.

SkillWorks: Partners for a Productive Workforce is a ten-year $25 million investment partnership to improve workforce development in Boston and in the Commonwealth. Working with local and national foundations, government, community organizations and employers, SkillWorks is investing in training programs, preparing people for and connecting them to post-secondary education, supporting public policy efforts to create better pathways to post-secondary training, and prioritizing its efforts in growing sectors in our state’s economy.

The Workforce Solutions Group is a statewide coalition led by the Crittenton Women's Union, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Massachusetts Communities Action Network, the Center for Labor Market…

Issue Areas Include

Location

  • 40 Court Street, Boston, MA 02108, United States
    11th Floor
Illustration

Join Idealist

Sign up today to save your favorite organizations and get email alerts when new ones are posted.