Projects
The BEST Initiative supports industry-driven partnerships that address the workforce development needs of Massachusetts businesses by building workers' skills through education and training. With this initiative, the state's adult education and job training agencies have joined together to support regional proposals that give front-line workers a foundation of skills to achieve career mobility, while reducing persistent job vacancies in key sectors.
Six projects were awarded funding and launched their programs in the Spring of 2002. For more information on the specific BEST projects, please contact us. The BEST Initiative funded the following projects:
Boston Health Care and Research Industry Training Institute
Award amount: $534,252
This grant funds a collaboration of eight major employers in the health care and research sector, the Boston Private Industry Council, one union, four community organizations, and two community colleges to develop and launch the Boston Health Care and Research Industry Training Institute. The Institute now provides education and training programs for 1) entry-level workers with limited English or education, and 2) entry- and mid-level workers lacking the education and training to move into higher paying positions including ESOL, GED, computer training, administrative skills, pre-college instruction, and supervisor's training. Targeted outcomes include increase in foundation skills for employees, increased retention, increased rate of promotion by entry-level employees, and filling of chronically vacant positions.
Metro Boston Financial Services Regional Industry Team
Award amount: $490,745
Through a partnership of two workforce investment boards, six banks, One-Stop Career Centers, community colleges, community based organizations, this grant funds career pathway development within the financial services industry and connects educational institutions with the industry to better support its needs. Foundational skills training and individual career coaching and career planning will be provided to workers employed in entry-level positions opening pathways to higher skilled occupations. Education and training will focus on eight competency areas: Business Writing, Conflict Resolution, Verbal Communication, English for Speakers of Other Languages, Computer Literacy, Math, Customer Service, and Supervisory Skills.
Metro South/West Hospital Industry
Award Amount: $691,580
The Metro South/West Regional Employment Board has joined with three hospitals in a sectoral project to address staffing shortages in their industry. With BEST funds, the project provides education and training to reduce shortages of technical and nursing personnel, improve the earnings of entry-level workers by providing education and training for technician and technologist positions, and increase access of low-income residents to jobs in health care. In addition, the partnership is dedicated to addressing the shortage of nurses, moving workers into higher paying nursing and management positions and expanding to other hospitals in the region.
Northeast Regional Hospital Partnership
Award amount: $342,110
The project focuses on developing a more cohesive career pathway for employees leading from unskilled positions to paraprofessional positions such as nurses aides and phlebotomists, and from there to skilled positions, such as licensed nursing and radiology technicians. The goal is to develop, pilot, and refine interventions that will be integrated into the hospital workforce development culture. The partnership of six hospitals/health centers, three local Workforce Investment Boards, community colleges, and One-Stop Career Centers is developing: 1) basic skills training for unskilled workers to move to the paraprofessional level, and 2) transitional training to prepare paraprofessionals for licensed nursing or radiology technicians.
Southeast Massachusetts Manufacturing Consortium
Award amount: $547,622
The training supports career ladders and offers opportunities for new hires and entry-level workers to rise to higher skill, higher pay positions within manufacturing organizations. With strong support from organized labor, ten local manufacturers, three workforce investment boards, community colleges, chambers of commerce, the consortium is developing and providing training in basic skills, adult basic education, ESOL, personal development for manufacturing careers, supervisory skills, computer application skills, and computerized machine process skills. In addition, job counseling and placement services will be provided to participants.
Biomanufacturing Training Consortium
Award amount: $499,997
This grant brings together industry associations, companies, local Workforce Investment Boards, community colleges, One-Stop Career Centers and training providers to design educational and training opportunities in the bio-manufacturing sector. The Mass. Biotech Council has reached out to community colleges, Workforce Investment Boards and career centers in order to develop a coordinated effort to create a standardized bio-manufacturing curriculum in various community colleges. Participants receive training on company time to gain access or retain quality entry-level jobs at the participating employers and then progress up existing career paths to more skilled positions that pay higher wages. The project has also partnered with a group of community based organizations to raise the basic skill level of their constituents to enable them to access biotechnology careers.
