As Boston’s MassHire Workforce Board, the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) leads local workforce development initiatives in partnerships with employers, training providers, educational institutions, and community organizations. These initiatives support jobseekers by creating career pathways in high-demand industries while helping businesses access a skilled workforce. The PIC and the City of Boston have successfully secured competitive grants, reinforcing their commitment to innovation and adaptability in an evolving economy.
For more information on the following initiatives, contact Ashley Hazleton McClafferty, Assistant Director, Workforce Development, at ashley.hazleton@bostonpic.org.
Funding for Training and Upskilling
In today’s rapidly evolving economy, continuous workforce training and upskilling are essential for businesses to remain competitive. The MassHire Boston Workforce Board helps local employers navigate funding opportunities that support employee training and workforce development.
The Commonwealth Corporation administers a variety of competitive grant programs, each designed to support businesses, training providers, and jobseekers by investing in skills development and career advancement opportunities.
Through these programs, employers can:
- Train and upskill their workforce
- Increase employee retention and productivity
- Adapt to changing industry demands
Employers looking to leverage workforce funding can explore available programs through the Commonwealth Corporation.
Good Jobs Challenge
The City of Boston was awarded a $23 million federal grant as part of the $500 million Good Jobs Challenge, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. This initiative focuses on creating demand-driven career pathways in healthcare, childcare, and clean energy, industries that are critical to Boston’s economic recovery and long-term growth.
With the support of over 100 local employers, the program helps individuals gain the skills, training, and credentials needed for high-quality, family-sustaining jobs. The PIC’s healthcare sector partnership builds on a decade of success, expanding industry-driven workforce strategies and career advancement opportunities for entry-level employees seeking upward mobility.
Behavioral Health Expansion Initiative
Addressing the nationwide shortage of behavioral health professionals, the MassHire Boston Workforce Board, in partnership with MassHire Metro South/West Workforce Board, launched the Greater Boston Behavioral Health Partnership Expansion Initiative.
Funded through the Commonwealth Corporation, this initiative provides financial support for clinical supervision and mentorship, helping workers pursuing clinical licenses advance their careers. By reducing financial barriers for professionals in mental health and behavioral health fields, the initiative helps expand access to critical healthcare services in Boston.
TechBoost
TechBoost is a nationwide initiative designed to increase access to technology careers through apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship training programs. The program is managed regionally by Clark University, with the MassHire Boston Workforce Board (Boston PIC) playing a crucial role in employer engagement, local participant recruitment, and training coordination.
This initiative connects unemployed and underemployed individuals with opportunities in the high-growth information technology (IT) sector, providing hands-on training, certifications, and direct career pathways into high-paying tech jobs.
TechBoost is an essential part of Boston’s strategy to diversify the tech workforce, ensuring that historically underrepresented communities have access to high-quality training and employment opportunities.
Career Technical Initiative (CTI)
The Career Technical Initiative (CTI) helps adult learners gain hands-on training in skilled trades by leveraging Boston’s vocational-technical high schools as workforce development hubs.
At Madison Park Vocational Technical High School, adults can enroll in training programs for carpentry, automotive maintenance, HVAC, and welding–industries with strong demand and high earning potential.
CTI provides a direct pathway to employment for individuals seeking stable, well-paying careers in the trades sector and helps employers address labor shortages by ensuring a pipeline of skilled professionals.
Healthcare HUB
Boston is home to some of the world’s leading hospitals and healthcare institutions, but workforce shortages in acute care occupations remain a persistent challenge.
With funding from the Commonwealth Corporation, the MassHire Boston Workforce Board has partnered with local hospitals and training providers to increase access to healthcare careers. This initiative provides:
- Specialized healthcare training for in-demand roles
- Industry-recognized credentials to boost job placement rates
- Career pathways in acute care to address workforce shortages
By helping jobseekers train for stable, well-paying roles in healthcare, this initiative supports Boston’s economic growth while strengthening the healthcare workforce.
Why Workforce Initiatives Matter
Boston’s economic growth depends on a strong, adaptable workforce. These initiatives help jobseekers and employers alike, ensuring individuals can access:
- High-quality jobs in growing industries
- Training and upskilling opportunities
- Pathways to economic mobility
Through strategic partnerships, MassHire Boston Workforce Board continues to lead innovative workforce initiatives that drive inclusive economic success for Boston’s residents and businesses.
Convenings
The Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) brings together employers, government officials, educators, and community leaders to bridge the gap between policy and workforce practice. Through strategic convenings, the PIC fosters collaboration, advises public officials, and drives collective action to strengthen Boston’s workforce ecosystem.
These convenings create a direct link between workforce needs, education, and industry trends, ensuring that jobseekers, businesses, and policymakers work together to address skill gaps and develop high-impact workforce strategies.
The Boston Healthcare Careers Consortium (HCC) is a quarterly convening led by the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) and co-chaired by the workforce development directors at Mass General Brigham and Boston Children’s Hospital.
About HCC:
- Established in 2010, the HCC is a nationally recognized model for employer-led sector partnerships.
- Brings together employers, educators, workforce partners, and community-based organizations to address regional healthcare workforce challenges.
- Focuses on aligning education and training programs with Boston’s healthcare industry needs, ensuring that jobseekers and incumbent workers have efficient, effective, and accessible career pathways.
By connecting hospitals, training providers, and workforce organizations, the HCC strengthens Boston’s healthcare talent pipeline and creates opportunities for individuals to enter and advance within this high-demand field.
What We Do:
- Employer Engagement: Helping businesses connect with diverse tech talent and workforce training programs.
- Tech Education & Training: Supporting apprenticeships, bootcamps, and credentialing programs to create accessible pathways into high-growth tech careers.
- Advisory Board & Grant Opportunities: Engaging IT leaders and businesses to shape inclusive hiring practices and identify funding for workforce development.
TechHire Advisory Board
TechHire is guided by an advisory board of IT leaders from major organizations, including:
- Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
- Boston Red Sox
- Massachusetts Business Roundtable
- Per Scholas Greater Boston
- Wayfair
- Resilient Coders
TechHire Working Groups:
- Tech Grants Working Group: Provides employer input on grant opportunities and training programs.
- Events Sub-Committee: Plans TechHire “Massachusetts Advantage” events, which showcase leading tech training programs and employer partnerships.
By leveraging education, employer collaboration, and inclusive hiring strategies, TechHire Boston ensures that underrepresented communities have greater access to high-quality tech careers.
The Workforce Skills Cabinet, led by the Healey-Driscoll Administration, has relaunched a regional planning initiative to address labor market gaps and workforce challenges.
The Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) collaborates with the MassHire Metro North and MassHire Metro South/West Workforce Boards to develop the Greater Boston Regional Workforce Planning Blueprint. This blueprint aligns workforce development, education, and economic strategies to ensure that public investment and policy decisions close labor market gaps.
Goals of the Greater Boston Regional Workforce Plan:
- Align workforce development and education (K-12 & higher education) with labor market needs, reducing skill gaps in high-demand industries.
- Leverage and expand existing training programs to create consistent work-readiness skills across the workforce.
- Promote equity and inclusion by ensuring underrepresented groups have access to better employment opportunities.
Priority Industries in Greater Boston:
- Healthcare & Social Assistance: The largest industry in Greater Boston, offering diverse career opportunities at all skill levels, from entry-level to advanced clinical roles.
- Information Technology (IT): A cross-sector industry that spans banking, insurance, retail, startups, and major tech firms, requiring specialized digital skills and technical training.
Local Workforce Priorities:
In addition to regional goals, the three workforce boards prioritize critical industries including:
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Life Sciences
- Hospitality
By aligning education, training, and employer partnerships, regional planning efforts help Boston’s workforce system stay competitive, inclusive, and future-ready.