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Dear Partners,
As we kick off the new year, I am thrilled to envision the progress we will achieve together in 2025. Thanks to our dedicated partners, so much has already been achieved in these past 3 months. Despite the complexities of the world around us, we are seeing incredible strength in individuals pursuing opportunities, making strides toward better futures, and creating lasting change.
At the MassHire Metro North Workforce Board, our commitment remains steadfast to empowering those navigating their personal and professional paths—especially as they face an evolving job market, economic uncertainty, and systemic barriers. As we continue to adapt our programs, resources, and support to meet the needs of today's workforce, we are reminded of the power of community. It is through collective action, understanding, and innovation that we will continue to uplift those who need it most.
This month, we are excited to share updates and stories from our community, highlighting the incredible impact we're making together. We’re also taking this opportunity to reflect on the importance of opportunity and access, and how we can all play a role in creating pathways to success for individuals of all backgrounds.
Thank you for your continued dedication, support, and partnership in this vital work. We are grateful to be part of a community that believes in the transformative power of workforce development.
Best regards,
Chris Albrizio-Lee, President & CEO
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Celebrating the PACMAN Cohort Graduation:
New Beginnings
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On December 12, 2024, the final Pre-Apprenticeship Program in Facilities Maintenance or Construction Trades (PACMAN) Cohort graduated 17 students, each earning their National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Certificate of Completion and OSHA 10 certification. Many of these graduates, eager to start fresh in construction or facilities maintenance, took part in a job fair hosted by ABC-MA, where they had the chance to meet with employers seeking new talent.
We are proud to share that graduate Richard D. secured a maintenance technician role with Peabody Properties at $28/hour, providing him with economic stability. Graduate Omar M. was offered a spot in the Skillseek Fast Track HVAC Program, a two-month training program that leads to employment.
The remaining graduates are actively working with the International Institute of New England (IINE) career readiness staff and are on track to secure jobs by the end of February. Congratulations to all the graduates—this is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter!
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Digital Literacy Classes Thrive Across Partner Sites
We're excited to announce the launch of four Digital Literacy classes as part of the Digital JEDI Consortium, hosted by the following partner sites:
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- Revere Community Schools
- Somerville Community Corporation (SCC)
- North Shore Community College
- La Colaborativa
These classes focus on teaching the Intermediate Windows/Microsoft Office curriculum developed by La Colaborativa. Additionally, advanced classes kicked off in late January and will run through March, offering courses in:
- Advanced Excel
- UI/UX Design
- Front-end Web Development
In December 2024, La Colaborativa celebrated the graduation of 30 students from the intermediate digital literacy program and 10 students from the advanced digital literacy program.
Many of our partner organizations also continued to provide essential digital skills training through various workshops, 1-1 sessions, and short-form classes aimed at meeting community members' needs. Here’s a quick look at some of the impactful work done:
- La Colaborativa: 186 residents participated in workshops covering basic computer skills, web browsing, email navigation, and job applications.
- Cambridge Public Library: 204 residents engaged in workshops ranging from Google Sheets and Drive basics to resume creation using Google Docs, LinkedIn Learning, and more.
- SCC: 27 residents participated in workshops on tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, along with topics like ChatGPT, AI, and personal computer maintenance.
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Do you have experience as an entrepreneur or know a small business owner who can dedicate their expertise to mentoring an aspiring young entrepreneur in our community? We are currently recruiting mentors for our 12-week program, designed for youth ages 16-24. Mentors will commit to just 15 hours over the course of the program and will be compensated for their time. This is a fantastic opportunity to guide the next generation of entrepreneurs and connect with like-minded individuals in the local business community.
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"Supporting high schoolers in under-resourced schools to find employment and envision their bright careers ahead is economic justice in action," says Sr. Manager of In-School Programs Molly Paone. The MassHire Metro North Workforce Board Connecting Activities employment program provides meaningful employment, internships, and work readiness training to over 325 youth each year.
One day a week, you can find job coaches at high schools in Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Revere, Somerville, and Woburn. Want to learn more about what a typical day of a job coach looks like in our schools? Watch this video to follow our very own Molly and Hadessah along for a day!
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Connecting Activities also provides additional career exploration and exposure opportunities through job fairs. Most recently, job fairs were held at Everett High School and Woburn High School. On January 30th, 16 employers visited Everett High School to share industry information and expertise with over 350 students. On February 11th, Woburn High School hosted 11 employers with 75 students in attendance.
In addition to learning more about local career opportunities, students also had the chance to receive a free, professional headshot at both events. Over 45 students left these job fairs with high-quality portraits that can be used to enhance LinkedIn profiles, portfolios, and more.
To learn more about the Connecting Activities employment program, click here.
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For Danyal Najmi, Rosetta Languages is more than a translation and interpretation company. Through a four-axiom model centered around responsiveness, accessibility, “awesomeness,” and a commitment to staying “human,” Rosetta Languages is striving to make communication language indifferent.
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Danyal Najmi, Founder of Rosetta Languages
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Read the article below to learn how Danyal discovered his passion for languages, his goals for the company, his commitment to staying "human" in the age of AI, his experience as a mentor for the MNWB NewBiz Entrepreneurship Program, how Rosetta Languages is working to achieve both language access and language justice, and more.
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Shriver Job Corps
(Click image below to enlarge)
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Keolis
(Click image below to enlarge)
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The LoopLab
(Click image below to enlarge)
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On January 8th, MNWB staff and WIOA Youth partners had an opportunity to attend a tour at the LoopLab, a nonprofit social enterprise that offers tuition-free professional audio-visual and media arts workforce development services. Attendees learned about paid media arts training program and paid internships available to young adults.
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Labor Market Information
(Click picture below to open report file)
This quarterly job seeker report aims to provide insightful analysis of the current labor market trends in the Metro North region. Whether you are a business leader, job seeker, or community member, you'll find valuable information to help you understand and navigate the local employment landscape. We cover key topics such as unemployment trends, top occupations, job posting data, and the most sought-after skills.
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Labor Market Data Request Form
MassHire Metro North Workforce Board is proud to support the work of the workforce development, education, and economic development organizations in our communities. We are happy to provide labor market information to inform programmatic decisions or endorse grant applications. Partners who would like to request labor market information, reports, or access to data must complete the following Labor Market Data Request Form.
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MassHire Malden Career Center Grand Opening!
Over the last five years, the MassHire Metro North Career Centers have served more than 37,000 people! They have doubled the MassHire Metro North Career Center teams and invested in resources for professional development. This month, we celebrated the grand opening of the new MassHire Metro North Career Center in Malden, located at 2 Florence Street!
This new center is located in the heart of Malden, just steps from the Orange Line T station.
The grand opening event on Friday, February 21st, brought together community members, workforce development leaders, and local officials to celebrate. Highlights included inspiring speeches:
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Joseph McGonagle, MA State Representative, emphasized the importance of the Malden Career Center in helping his constituents navigate the system, especially students graduating high school and entering the workforce directly.
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Peg Crowe, Malden Ward 1 City Councillor and Executive Director of YWCA Malden, explained the significance of the career center as a vital resource for families and the positive impact of the partnership with MassHire and ABCD on the community.
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Juan Pablo Jaramillo, Revere City Councillor At-Large, expressed appreciation for the work of the career center, highlighting the importance of childcare in the region and how the center offers comprehensive services to assist families.
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Chris Albrizio-Lee, MassHire Metro North Workforce Board, spoke about the excitement of bringing a physical presence to the Malden area and the surrounding cities, as well as the ongoing partnership between the career centers and the workforce board.
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Sharon Scott-Chandler, ABCD President & CEO, praised the success and growth of the MassHire centers over the past five years.
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Liz Hart, Founder and Executive Director of Tailored for Success (pictured below), stated that the collaboration between MassHire and Tailored for Success has been essential in helping individuals achieve sustainable employment. After 24 years of partnership, the collaboration now extends to the Woburn, Cambridge, and Malden MassHire Career Centers, offering job seekers access to professional attire to support their job search.
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Ron Marlow, VP of ABCD Workforce Development, highlighted the center’s role in providing a safety net and valuable resources to the community.
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A special thank you to Stacey Leibowitz with MassAbility and Rachael Running with the Greater Boston Labor Council, MassHire Metro North Workforce Board members, for coming out to support the grand opening and showing their continued commitment to the success of MassHire.
A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated Career Center staff for their tireless efforts in empowering job seekers!
MassHire Metro North Career Centers are now located in Cambridge, Chelsea, Woburn, and Malden.
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A full calendar of upcoming meetings can be found HERE
March 21, 2025: Board of Directors Meeting, 10:30AM-12:00PM (ZOOM)
May 20, 2025: Quarterly Board Meeting, 8:30AM-10:30AM (IN-PERSON)
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Connect with us on social media!
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