|
|
|
|
|
Dear Partners and Supporters,
Happy Black History Month! This issue we will share with you some of our work on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and how that will impact our next Strategic Plan!
With Spring arriving in just a few more weeks, we look forward to working with you all as the weather warms to serve our region’s residents and businesses!
In partnership,
Chris Albrizio-Lee, President and CEO
|
|
|
What will the next four years bring to MNWB and workforce development in the Metro North Region? That is the question that MNWB’s Board, Staff and Strategic Planning Committee have been working to answer.
|
|
|
|
We are fortunate to have been selected to receive pro-bono consulting services from Community Action Partners (CAP) to help guide us in our Strategic Planning work. Over the next months, the CAP team will be reaching out to many of our partners in the region to ask for your input into this process. We will be examining our mission, our vision, our core values and our priorities to better serve the jobseekers and businesses of Metro North.
|
|
|
Update on our work: Diversity - Equity - Inclusion
February, Black History Month, is a time to celebrate the contributions of black citizens to our world, our country, and our communities. February is one month, but at MNWB, our Board and Staff are committed to making Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) a part of our work – internal to our organization and in all of our outward reaching work – each and every day.
In November, we completed the cohort dialogue sessions moderated by YW Boston's InclusionBoston program. We are now developing our action plan for the next year.
We are grateful for this opportunity.
|
|
Black History Month!
Sharing from our partners at the San Diego Workforce Partnership: The Black Workforce Heroes Who Shaped Today’s World of Work. Learn about the inspirational work of A. Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, Dorothy Height and more!
|
|
Stay Tuned!
Our Work to THRIVE initiative is underway!! Keep an eye out for our first Work to THRIVE Newsletter in the coming weeks! In the meantime, please visit our website: https://worktothrive.org. |
|
|
Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success Grant
Metro North Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Maintenance Program
WCTF PAC-MAN Launch
On February 1, 2021 the first cohort of the Pre-Apprenticeship Construction and Maintenance Training was launched with 16 students and three instructors. This program is funded through the Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Fund through the Commonwealth Corporation.
PAC-MAN is a ten-week, 160 hour training consisting of Principles of Construction, Job Readiness and Financial Literacy. All graduates will have the opportunity to enter paid apprenticeship employment with either trade members of the ABC-MA Builders or Winn Companies. The three instructors are Steve Sullivan from ABCMA Builders, Alexis Kubana from the International Institute of Technology and Lauren McCann from the MassHire Metro North Workforce Board, an ABE/ESOL instructor who will ensure that all students have an even playing field when it comes to course content.
Evie Heffernan from CONNECT and Lee-Ann Johnson from the MassHire Metro North Career Center did an outstanding job with recruiting a diverse cohort of Metro North residents. The first cohort includes 5 Revere residents, 5 Chelsea residents, and 2 Everett residents. Other cities and towns represented are Winthrop, Somerville, Winchester, and Burlington. The student roster includes two women and 12 minorities. The ages are as diverse as the students, ranging from 23 to 77.
Due to COVID 19 restrictions, this program was launched 100 percent virtually during the first major snowstorm of the season. All students were provided a Chromebook and instructors worked to create a learning environment that would allow students to virtually engage with the curriculum. A Google Classroom was created where students can preview upcoming modules, review class content, and attendance can be tracked along with other virtual engagement features, for example, participating in online games that will strengthen learning while increasing computer skills.
|
|
|
|
"THE NEW NORMAL" - Virtual Customer Service Skills Training
Through a grant from Walmart, the MassHire Metro North Workforce Board launched a free Virtual Customer Service Skills Training series taught by our ESOL/ABE Specialist, Lauren McCann. The training series began in December 2020 with weekly sessions. The sessions provide a customer-service focused training resource for Massachusetts employers who have customer-facing businesses in “The New Normal” environment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics covered in the training included adjusting to COVID-19 safety regulations, safety guidelines, Do’s & Don’ts, conflict resolution, and customer service skills. Participants of the virtual training received a certificate of completion that retail businesses can display to the public. This is a one hour highly interactive training session which provides attendees the opportunity to practice what they have learned through role playing activities, acting out various different customer service scenarios with each other, and by providing examples of their own by sharing real life encounters with customers and the solving skills they used to find a solution.
|
|
|
NAMC Training - Tooling U.
Earlier this year, MNWB and the Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium (NAMC) received a $500,000 grant from the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED) to deliver virtual manufacturing trainings to workers impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The project’s goal is to train 125 participants utilizing a virtual manufacturing training curriculum called Tooling U. The project will run until the end of calendar year 2021.
|
|
|
|
Please do not hesitate to contact MNCC for any of your workforce needs.
During these difficult times the MNCC remain committed to providing continued services.
|
|
|
CAREER CENTER SUCCESS STORY!
|
|
|
Temporary Work/Training Position leads to Permanent Employment!
|
|
In August, one of our Veteran Representatives, Dennis Pellegrino, provided Career Planning services to individual and informed him about an opportunity for subsidized temporary work through SnapChef with an on the job training component. This opportunity was made available through a statewide COVID-19 Disaster Relief Grant meant to subsidize temporary employment in an area of relief efforts – in this case necessary food services. The Veteran had been employed in various positions previously and as a result of COVID-19 was having a hard time finding secure employment.
Dennis connected with one of our Business Services Representatives, Lisa Chakalos-Ryan, and another Career Counselor, Debbie Lipton, and together they assisted the Veteran with the process of applying through SnapChef. Ultimately, he was placed as a Food Packer at La Colaborativa for 14 weeks under the grant. Once the temporary assignment ended, La Colaborativa, one of our community partners, decided to hire him on as a full-time employee. He is now making about $4/hr more than he was in his most recent employment history, he is happy with his job and new employer, and now has an opportunity for future growth and development.
|
|
Subscribe to our Newsletter
LIKE, FOLLOW, and FRIEND
Help us grow our social media presence -
visit us on our pages below and like, follow or friend us. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
