U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $23 Million to Develop Multi-Sector Workforce Training Program in Greater Boston Region Through American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $23 million American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge grant to the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation of Boston, Massachusetts, to create the Greater Boston Region Workforce Training System, a healthcare, energy and resilience, and childcare workforce training program.

This program will partner with more than 100 local employers to create demand-driven pathways into quality childcare, healthcare, and energy jobs. Together, the partnerships project to place thousands of local Boston residents, with a focus on communities of color and women, into well-paying jobs in three crucial industries.

“President Biden's American Rescue Plan funding through the Good Jobs Challenge delivers federal resources that will equip Americans with the necessary training and opportunities to ensure economic prosperity,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA grant will spur investments in several critical industries for Boston – childcare, healthcare, and energy, while also ensuring quality jobs for communities of color and women.”

“The Good Jobs Challenge is designed to bring together diverse coalition partners and local leaders to promote workforce training programs across the country” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “Led by the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation of Boston, we are excited to see how this program will develop a pipeline of licensed childcare professionals, build off the prominence of the local health industry, and partner with local unions to develop skilled journeymen to develop clean energy infrastructure.”

“Democrats fought to pass the American Rescue Plan because it invests in working people and communities across the country and the Commonwealth,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “EDA’s announcement of a new $23 million investment in the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation of Boston is a testament to Democrats’ commitment to Massachusetts workers – it will create over 100 partnerships for job training programs in health care, energy and resilience, and childcare, and focus on giving communities of color and women pathways to good jobs.”

“With this historic investment, Boston is one step closer to kickstarting the Greater Boston Region Workforce Training System and creating thousands of jobs at more than a hundred local businesses,” said Senator Edward J. Markey. “By paving the way for equitable access to new, good-paying jobs in clean energy, childcare, and health care, this investment puts communities of color and women on the path to in-demand careers that will strengthen our economy and our families.”

This grant is funded through the American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge. The program awarded grants to 32 worker-centered, industry-led workforce training partnerships across the country. The $500 million program is expanding opportunities for more Americans to access and secure good-paying jobs by investing in innovative approaches to advance worker-centered, industry-led workforce training partnerships.

The 32 awardee projects were selected from a competitive pool of 509 applicants. By partnering with stakeholders such as labor unions, community colleges and industry, these projects will solve for local talent needs, 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. Through a holistic, integrated partnership approach, these projects will provide tangible opportunities and security for American workers, focusing on serving and supporting a broad range of underserved communities and connecting workers with the training, skills, and support services needed to successfully secure a good job. For more information on the grantees, please visit our fact sheet. (PDF)

The Good Jobs Challenge is part of a suite of American Rescue Plan programs developed by EDA to equitably distribute its $3 billion allocation to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build a better America by accelerating economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be more resilient to future economic shocks.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.