The past 20 months have brought more fear, anxiety and pressure than most of us have ever felt. But through it all the MassHire Career Centers and Workforce Boards have stood as a bastion of customer service, care, and support. As 2021 comes to an end, and on behalf of MWA staff and the MWA Board, I want to thank each director for the dedication, care, and compassion they have shown to customers and staff.

We have dealt with the health concerns of staff, our families, ourselves, and our customers. We have experienced gut wrenching loss, both in our families and our staff, yet we have emerged with a strengthened commitment to each other. 

MWA is proud to support and advocate for each of you. Our association would not be what it is without the work you do within your respective communities every day. You motivate us to continue our resolve to create a stronger and more equitable workforce. Thank you for all that you do. We hope that you find time to enjoy the Holiday season and find moments to rest and recharge.

With respect, love, equity, and peace!

Dave Gadaire
Executive Director
MassHire Holyoke Career Center
Board Member, MWA
MWA Leads, Advocates, and Convenes on Behalf of the
Massachusetts Workforce Development System
In this edition of the Quarterly Voice we depart from our normal format to celebrate YOU! See below for a few member highlights, accomplishments, and celebrations throughout 2021. Thank you for all that you do and have done for job seekers and businesses throughout the state.

At its core, workforce development is about helping people. And the work wouldn't get done without dedicated workforce development professionals who worked through a pandemic to help others. MWA is honored to represent you and extremely grateful for your support over the past 12 months. We look forward to all we can accomplish together in 2022 and beyond.

Sincerely,
Tonja Mettlach and Raija Vaisanen
Boston YouthWorks Interns Express Creativity at the Actors’ Shakespeare Project
This summer, more than 2,000 Boston Public Schools (BPS) students obtained jobs through the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) (MassHire Boston Workforce Board) and its partner employers. Interns worked in diverse fields from tech and finance to healthcare and construction. While Boston is known for its tech and finance industries, the city is also home to a vibrant and thriving arts culture.

Click here to read about some of the amazing arts organizations that the PIC and its partners set up to ensure professional development and cultural enrichment opportunities for summer YouthWorks participants.
Metro North Goes All In for Better Equity in Service Delivery with Work to Thrive
Recognizing that not all individuals who need support to be successful in the labor market fall neatly into state and federal training buckets, MassHire Metro North Workforce Board in collaboration with the MassHire Metro North Career Center developed Work to Thrive. The initiative focuses on addressing employment barriers for those in need of employment support who don't fit the requirements for other existing training programs. The Bridging the Digital Divide Program and programs focused on ESOL/ABE learners and youth/young adults are just the first for this initiative.

The Board has also started a newsletter for Work to Thrive. The first issue can be found here. Click here to sign up for the newsletter.
Lowell Region Partners with Local Food Bank
In November, the MassHire Greater Lowell Workforce Board and Career Center donated food to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank based in Lowell. Teams of three competed to see who donated the most food by weight. In total they collected 3,676 pounds of food! The winning team donated a total of 1,174 pounds. Featured here is a photo of the winning team, Kelly McNamara, Shaun McCarthy and Ohana Patterson.
North Central Region Celebrates its Grand Reopening
Last month, the MassHire North Central Workforce Board and Career Center celebrated a grand reopening of its fully renovated career center. When staff were planning for the re-opening, they partnered with Chef Emily McLaughlin from Leominster CTEi to have students cater the event.

The CTEi culinary program is well known in the North Central region for their wonderful food and partnerships with local employers. Due to the pandemic, the school has been unable to reopen their school restaurant, Appleseeds, so students had not had many opportunities to practice their culinary skills in real-life settings. In preparing for this event, CTEi students were responsible for every aspect, including planning the menu, preparing, and serving the food, making silverware packets, bringing tablecloths and seasonal decorations, and even rearranging furniture to create the perfect flow. They were dressed professionally and wore face masks for guest safety.
 
The students did a tremendous job and everyone raved about the food. You can read more about the reopening here. Congrats to North Central on the successful grand reopening!
Berkshire Workforce Board Celebrates Manufacturing Month & Continued Graduations through Hybrid and In-Person CNA Programs
In October, the MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board celebrated manufacturing month! With 126 manufacturing companies in Berkshire County this is an important industry in the region with good jobs.

Additionally, the board has been able to successfully hold CNA trainings in both hybrid and fully in-person formats throughout the pandemic. Most recently, they were able to celebrate graduations for cohorts at both Berkshire Healthcare and Berkshire Medical Center.
MassHire Cape & Islands Workforce Board Celebrates 25th Anniversary of ArtWorks
The MassHire Cape & Islands Workforce Board celebrates the 25th Anniversary of its ArtWorks program this year. This Connecting Activities program offers high school students in grades 10-12 the opportunity to explore the creative economy through hands-on learning.

Click here to view last year's flip book.
MassHire Day 2021 Celebrates the Very Best of the Workforce System
MWA enjoys partnering with EOLWD and MDCS on the annual MassHire Day celebration and recognition effort. We are continually impressed and inspired by the great work featured each year. Below are links to blog posts that detail the people, teams, and efforts that were recognized as finalists in each value category in 2021. Congrats to Central Region, Greater New Bedford, Franklin Hampshire, Merrimack Valley, Hampden County, Metro North, Boston, Holyoke, Lowell, and Bristol all who were finalists in 2021!


In case you missed it, here are links to Workforce Board Directors and other system leaders sharing their appreciation for regional staff and the workforce system. As Mary Sarris, Executive Director of the MassHire North Shore Workforce Board said, "We used to just be ice cream. Now, we're Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, so people know we're the best!"


COMINGS AND GOINGS
MWA welcomes the following new members:

We also say farewell to several colleagues who have retired or are moving on to new adventures:
  • Beth Viveiros, Director of the MassHire Bristol Career Center
  • Cathy Folan, Director of the MassHire South Shore Career Center
  • Jim Daniels, Director of the MassHire Greater New Bedford Career Center
  • Teri Anderson, Executive Director of the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center

We celebrate with MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center as they welcome Maura Geary as their new Executive Director.

BOARD ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Two New Members Join MWA Board
MWA is pleased to announce that Lauren Jones, Vice President at the Mass Business Roundtable, and Charles Gagnon, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Massachusetts joined our board in June.

If you know anyone who would be a good fit from your region to work with us, please fill out a brief nomination form telling us about them here. A description of what this work entails can be found here. Feel free to contact Tonja or Raija with any questions.
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