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Neighborhood Jobs Trust

The Neighborhood Jobs Trust (NJT) is a public charitable trust replenished by linkage fees from developers of large-scale commercial projects in Boston.

Developers of commercial and institutional development over 100,000 square feet pay linkage fees to the Neighborhood Jobs Trust and the Neighborhood Housing Trust. In general, NJT funds are awarded through competitive RFPs issued when enough money has accumulated in the Trust. The Neighborhood Jobs Trust funds jobs and job training programs for low- and moderate-income Boston residents.

How the Neighborhood Jobs Trust Works

Funds in the Neighborhood Jobs Trust come from jobs linkage fees. The Boston's Zoning law requires that commercial construction projects in excess of 100,000 square feet receive a zoning variance, one condition of which is that the developer of the building is obligated to pay a linkage fee, based on the square footage of their project, into the Trust. Currently, the linkage fee rate for the Neighborhood Jobs Trust is $2.39 per square foot. Developers have two options when they pay their linkage fees into the trust. They can designate the money toward: 1) jobs creation or 2) job contribution.

  1. Jobs creation money funds job training for workers to be employed, on a permanent basis, at the developer's project-site.
  2. Jobs contribution money is paid into the trust to be managed by the NJT trustees to residents' benefit.

The three trustees of the Neighborhood Jobs Trust are responsible for setting the trust's funding priorities according to residents’ needs and current labor market conditions. The trustees, who meet quarterly, are City Councilor Julia Mejia, Chief of Worker Empowerment Trinh Nguyen, and Collector-Treasurer Maureen Garceau. 

Learn more

NJT Program Handbook

The Neighborhood Jobs Trust (NJT) Program Guide is a handbook for contracted service providers to implement NJT Job Training Services. It includes:

  • a description of NJT
  • grant requirements
  • best practices for programs
  • procedures
  • a basic timeline for procedures during the grant period
  • a glossary of acronyms, and
  • information on data collection.

All sample forms and informational documents are included within the handbook. Please use this handbook as a resource for questions concerning NJT procedures regarding your program contract.

If you have additional questions, contact Anna Sherr, Senior Program Manager for NJT at anna.sherr@boston.gov.

View the NJT Program Guide

2023 Neighborhood Jobs Trust Grantees

Organization

Industry

Program Description

African Bridge Network (ABN)

Healthcare and Finance

ABN’s Immigrant Professionals Internship program places individuals in paid, 10-week internships with healthcare and finance employers to support skilled immigrants to transition their work experience from their home countries to professional careers in Boston's high growth industries.

Asian American Civic Association (AACA)

Building Trades 

The BEEMS program trains students in basic carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and energy efficiency and prepares them for in-demand, high-wage careers at property management companies, hotels, and maintenance firms.

Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology

Building Trades

FCT proposes an occupation skills training program to support individuals facing barriers to employment to pursue a certificate in the clean energy trades of HVAC&R and Practical Electricity. Programs are in the high demand industry of Construction Trades and can be completed in less than a year.

BEST Corp

Hospitality 

BEST hospitality Pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs provide training for high quality hotel jobs with graduates receiving industry recognized certifications and college credits. This program will provide extensive case management and wrap around services through their partnership with Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD).

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)

ESOL/Customer Service 

The ESOL for Customer Service job training program integrates ESOL instruction with general workplace and industry-specific skills and includes individual career counseling and case management services.

Breaktime

Youth Employment and Career Development

Breaktime uses a transitional employment model combining elements of Learn-and-Earn and occupational skills training to ensure that homeless young adults can secure stable employment, permanent housing, and financial empowerment.

Catholic Charities/Haitian American Multi-Service Center (HMSC)

ESOL/ Healthcare and Human Services

HMSC’s ESOL for employment program provides contextualized ESOL classes embedded in an occupation training program for individuals interested in professions in healthcare and human services. 

Charlestown Adult Education (CAE)

ABE/ ESOL/ Healthcare/ Building Trades 

CAE proposes a job training program with comprehensive wraparound services, including ABE and ESOL classes, case management services, career exploration support, and financial literacy courses, supporting participants to obtain jobs in healthcare or construction. The majority of those served will be residents of Charlestown BHA housing, English Language Learners, or court-involved youth.

Community Servings

Culinary

The Teaching Kitchen’s 12-week culinary program provides a pathway to permanent employment in food services for high-need Boston residents experiencing multiple barriers to employment such as criminal records, poverty, substance use disorder, and homelessness through skills training and supportive services.  

Community Works Services (CWS)

Building Trades 

The Solar Technician Training program is a comprehensive 15-week training, with wrap-around support services, preparing participants for quality jobs in the expanding clean energy industry. Graduates will receive nationally recognized certifications in solar and wind technologies as well as earn 3 college credits.

English for New Bostonians (ENB)

ESOL

The ESOL Economic Mobility Initiative will support 13 ESOL Pathways programs providing contextualized ESOL for employment.

Immigrant Family Services Institute (IFSI)

ESOL

IFSI will assist low-level English speakers with ESOL instruction and career-focused training classes in healthcare along with computer skills and financial literacy classes. Located in Mattapan, the program focuses on serving recent immigrants, supporting a growing population of Haitian immigrants in Boston. 

Interseminarian- Project Place

Logistics 

The LEAP program will provide comprehensive job training, employment, and support services to homeless and low-income individuals via occupational skills training and learn-and-earn pathways to employment in modern logistics (transportation, warehousing, and delivery). 

Jewish Vocational Services (JVS)

Healthcare

JVS proposes a Certified Nursing Assistant and Pharmacy Technician training program to prepare Boston residents for careers in healthcare, equipping graduates to obtain industry recognized certifications. 

More Than Words (MTW)

Youth Employment and Career Development 

MTW blends workforce training, youth development, deliberate transition planning, and individual and systems-level advocacy to prepare young people (primarily homeless youth and young people at risk of homelessness) for future education, employment, and self-sufficiency.

Mothers for Justice and Equality

Healthcare and Administration 

MJE’s transitional employment program provides job skills training in administration for non-profits, health care, and academia. Primarily serving low-income residents in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan, MJE offers trauma-informed case management and supportive services for individuals struggling with the impacts of violence. 

Mujeres Unidas Avanzando

ESOL/ Healthcare

MUA’s program will help English Language Learners to complete a Medical Assistant Training (CMA) program, consisting of 320 hours of instruction followed by a 160-hour externship.

New England Culinary Arts Training (NECAT)

Culinary 

NECAT provides a 12-week culinary skills training program to prepare Boston residents, including returning citizens, people experiencing homelessness, and individuals in substance abuse recovery, for careers in restaurant and hotel kitchens. The program combines training in socio-emotional development, career readiness, and industry specific training. 

Operation ABLE Greater Boston

Healthcare 

The ABLE Medical Office Skills Training Program combines job training, digital literacy, and soft skills development with 6-week internships to support older adults re-entering the workforce.

Per Scholas

IT 

Per Scholas provides occupation skills training for individuals from traditionally underserved populations to prepare them for a variety of tech roles including IT support, Cloud Practitioner, and Software Engineer with starting salaries between $65,000 - $120,000 annually. 

Resilient Coders

IT 

Resilient Coders offers a remote coding bootcamp to prepare young (18-30 year old) Boston residents of color for careers as full stack developers and software engineers, with graduates obtaining jobs with employers such as Wayfair, Audible, and The Broad Institute.  

SkillWorks - The Boston Foundation

Multiple 

SkillWorks is a nationally recognized, Boston-based funder collaborative that acts as a workforce intermediary to pool funding from public, private, and corporate philanthropy and create a flexible set of resources that can be steered towards innovative solutions, capacity building, and system improvement.

Tech Goes Home

IT 

Tech Goes Home will partner with a variety of occupational skills training programs to integrate digital literacy skills training into existing programs through a “train the trainer” model. 

Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (ULEM)

IT 

MSIMBO Coding Academy is a social enterprise and workforce development bootcamp program offering full-stack training and career placement to underserved individuals (primarily women and African Americans/people of color).

X-CEL Inc

Water Treatment 

X-Cel Conservation Corps prepares young adults for the MA Grade 3 municipal wastewater operator licensure by combining classroom instruction and conservation work projects. In addition to obtaining an industry recognized certification in a field with an average starting salary of $25.85/hr, participants will receive assistance obtaining a driver's license, and a used vehicle.

YMCA of Greater Boston

Early Childhood Education

YMCA of Greater Boston will provide an Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Summer Academy program.

About the Commission

The City of Boston has a variety of boards and commissions. Each work with internal departments and the public to serve the City. Each board or commission has a specific number of members. Members go through an application process to ensure they have the expertise and passion for serving. Active members may become holdovers if their official term is up, but there is no new applicant to take their place.

Serving on a board or commission is one of the most impactful ways Bostonians can become active in their community. Read our guide if you are interested in applying.

Current members

Member Appointed Expires Status
Julia Mejia 6/8/2022 1/24/2024 Active
Trinh Nguyen 6/3/2022 1/14/2024 Active

Trust Information

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