Good Jobs Metro Boston Coalition Celebrates Conclusion of Landmark Initiative

The Office of Workforce Development, in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, hosted a celebration on August 25 to mark the conclusion of the Good Jobs Metro Boston Coalition (GJMBC) and recognize the training providers, employers, community-based organizations, and partners who made it possible. The GJMBC was a four-year initiative created to train and place 4,618 unemployed and underemployed residents in the healthcare, clean energy, and child care industries. The initiative was funded by a $23 million grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The City invested another $24 million in job training across sectors throughout the grant period.

“Over the past four years, we have supported over 4,000 workers in pathways to quality jobs with living wages, benefits, and career advancement opportunities,” said Chief of Worker Empowerment Trinh. “This accomplishment was made possible thanks to Mayor Wu’s leadership and the commitment of local employers, training providers, wraparound support providers, and industry stakeholders. Together, we will continue to create a City where the best talent can build careers with world-class employers. 

The celebration highlighted the success of the coalition’s work. Beth Israel Lahey Health Assistant Vice President of Workforce Development Joanne Pokaski spoke about how this investment increased BILH’s staff capacity in critical roles and supported employees’ professional development along career pathways. Three GJMBC graduates participated in a panel to discuss their experiences with the GJMBC program, including Boston EMS EMT Jordy Gonzalez, lead teacher Mackendy Saveur, and contractor Nacius Magis.

Industry leaders from the Boston Healthcare Careers Consortium (healthcare), Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (clean energy), and CAYL Institute (child care) developed and implemented the strategy for their respective sectors. Commitments from employers were also critical to the GJMBC’s success. Top employers included Mass General Brigham with over 1,000 hires, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Boston EMS, Schneider Electric, Homeworks Energy, Bozzuto, Little Sprouts, YMCA, and Action for Boston Community Development.

“The Good Jobs Challenge was an important catalyst in addressing healthcare workforce shortages as our industry emerged from the pandemic, bringing together employers, educators, and community partners around a shared goal,” said Kristin Driscoll, Executive Director, Workforce Development, Human Resources, Mass General Brigham. “Mass General Brigham is proud to be included in this effort, helping expand access to healthcare careers, create opportunities for economic mobility, and build a stronger workforce for the future. Through the Good Jobs Challenge, we welcomed more than 1,000 individuals, each helping address critical staffing needs and ensuring we can continue delivering exceptional care to the patients and communities we serve." 

To date, partners have enrolled over 6,000 participants in funded job training programs. Of those, the coalition placed over 4,500 participants into quality jobs, with over 3,500 directly supported by EDA funding. GJMBC engaged over 300 employers and funded 27 training programs with 59 training pathways. The Coalition continues to gather final placement data from partners.