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Dear Partners,
As we step into the first day of our new fiscal year, I am filled with immense pride and excitement for the journey ahead! The past year has been a testament to our commitment to our mission: developing partnerships, generating resources, and advocating for workforce solutions that result in a skilled workforce, prospering businesses, and equitable access to meaningful career pathways and quality employment for residents.
We have achieved remarkable milestones, from expanding our programs to reaching new communities and forging stronger partnerships. This next fiscal year, we aim to build on this momentum, setting even higher goals and embracing innovative strategies to support our communities. Our focus will be on enhancing our training programs, deepening our community engagement, and driving impactful outcomes for those we serve.
We thank all our partners who play a crucial role in fulfilling our mission.
Best regards,
Chris Albrizio-Lee
President and CEO
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Meet Our Newest Staff Members!
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Jimmy Rao
MNWB, Manager of Small Business & Entrepreneurship Programs
Jimmy joined MassHire in October 2023 as the Manager of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Programs. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, he moved to Boston to work with undergrads at Boston University as a chaplain. He has experience working with startups, small businesses, and non-profits. Jimmy holds a degree in Economics and Entrepreneurship from Washington University in St. Louis. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, cooking with his wife, and biking around the city!
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Kelly Washburn
MNWB, Senior Director of Strategy and Impact
Kelly joined MassHire in March 2024 as the Senior Director of Strategy and Impact. She has spent over 12 years as both an external and internal evaluator with community health initiatives/programming to conduct strategic planning, needs assessment, and program evaluations all with participatory and utilization-focused frameworks. Kelly loves working with teams to build effective data collection systems and reports to inform their programming and to tell the story of their work. One of her favorite things is designing the best visualizations for programs’ data and impact stories. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Public Health degree from Northeastern University.
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Brahim Aswald
MNWB, Senior Manager of Digital Equity
Brahim joined MassHire in January of 2024 as the Senior Manager of Digital Equity. He currently manages the Digital Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Consortium which aims to alleviate the digital inequities and associated socio-economic challenges that low-income, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and/or Immigrant communities face in the Metro North and North Shore regions. Before his work at MNWB, Brahim worked as a Community Health Worker (CHW) trainer following the completion of his Master of Public Health (MPH) at Boston University. Brahim enjoys dancing dabke (a Levantine folk dance) with his friends, drawing, exploring tea and coffee shops, and catching up with friends.
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Meagan Yeku
MNWB, Senior Manager of Employer Partnerships
Meagan joined MassHire in January 2024 to work with employers and partners. Prior to joining the Board, Meagan worked in a variety of nonprofit organizations in areas such as: community partnerships, employment placement, and corporate development. She graduated from Ithaca College with a B.A in Sociology and a minor in Criminal Justice. Meagan is an advocate for equity, inclusion, and diversity in the workplace and has helped place over 400 young adults into meaningful careers, over the course of her career. When she isn’t working, she runs her own animal rescue that saves dogs from kill shelters in the south.
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Hadessah O'Neal
MNWB, Youth Programs Specialist
Hadessah joined MassHire as a Youth Programs Specialist in March 2024. She has a background in Sociology and Education and is incredibly passionate about ensuring equitable access to job resources and job training. She began her career working in Chicago Public Schools as a teacher’s assistant at a variety of schools in the South Side. This, in addition to her own experience of socio economic struggles in the South, showed her how vital it is to make knowledge accessible for everyone in an effort to disrupt structural oppression. She is passionate about ensuring that students can follow their dreams and find careers that will fulfill them by offering workforce training as well as education about what career paths can look like with or without a college degree.
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Louckens Joseph
MNWB, Youth Programs Specialist
Louckens joined MassHire as a Youth Programs Specialist in February 2024. He was born and raised in Boston and holds a bachelor's degree in Communications. Before joining the Board, he worked for the Boston Center for Youth and Families summer camp and Living Arts program. Louckens' passions include creativity and his work is published annually in a student anthology produced by the EmersonWRITES creative writing program.
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Danielle Osterman
MNWB, Senior Director of Workforce Development
Danielle joined MassHire in April 2024 as the Senior Manager of Workforce Development. She began her career teaching ESL and computer classes and running a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site before moving into program design, development, and grant management roles. Most recently, Danielle worked for the City of Revere, managing the Community Development Block Grant and leading workforce development initiatives, and holds a Bachelor's in International Development & Social Change from Clark University and a Master's in Macro Social Work from Boston College.
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Jay Green
MNWB, Manager of Workforce Systems
Jay joined MassHire in March 2024 as the Manager of Workforce Systems, bringing expertise in business development, recruitment, and community engagement. With over four years in the non-profit sector, Jay has secured grants, scholarships, and fostered valuable community partnerships. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Communications from Umass, Jay is passionate about connecting individuals to meaningful careers and is an avid sports enthusiast and advocate for health and wellness.
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Meet Our Newest Board Member!
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Stacey Leibowitz
Mass Rehabilitation Commission (MRC), Malden Area Director
Stacey's role involves overseeing staff of vocational experts who provide services to people with disabilities to obtain meaningful employment in the community. Stacey has over 20 years of experience working in disability services in Massachusetts, including overseeing community-based day programs, employment, day habilitation, adult foster care, and residential programming. She has a master’s degree in healthcare management and policy from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and undergraduate degree in Broadcasting and Film from Boston University.
Disability services has been a lifelong journey for Stacey. She has a younger sister who has a developmental disability and co-existing mental illness, and she is her legal guardian, advocate, and friend, having supported her to live on her own, have a seasonal job and a vibrant social life.
Stacey is honored to be a member of the Metro North Workforce board, bringing her background in disability services focused on supporting employment opportunities and personal independence.
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MassHire PACMAN Graduates Forge Paths to Success and Community
On December 21, 8 students graduated from the MassHire PACMAN (Pre-Apprenticeship Program in Facilities Maintenance or Construction Trades) program in a ceremony hosted by the International Institute of New England at their Boylston Street offices. Surrounded by family and friends, they proudly received their NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) and Job Readiness Certificates.
Chris Albrizio-Lee, the President and CEO of MassHire Metro North Workforce Board, shared words of congratulations and encouragement. He commended the graduates for their dedication and emphasized the importance of their next phase – the job search.
Representing the graduating class as student speakers, Damon Morris and Frederick Ceca shared reflections on their journey. Both speakers expressed gratitude for the invaluable lessons learned during the training program and highlighted the immense support they received from instructors, staff, and fellow students. Damon and Frederick spoke passionately about forging lifelong connections, emphasizing the creation of a supportive community in their pursuit of a family-sustaining career.
Damon and Frederick have already secured positions as Facility Maintenance Technicians with Winn Companies. Their journey continues as they embark on apprenticeships at Wentworth Institute, balancing work, and education to further enhance their skills.
Winn Companies recognizes the potential within these graduates, offering them an hourly starting wage of $22.00 along with comprehensive benefits.
The MN PACMAN training program's success story is a testament to the power of collaboration, support, and determination. Congratulations to all the graduates!
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MassHire MNWB Celebrates $4.12M awarded by MBI to Boost Digital Equity
On February 7, we celebrated the kickoff of the Digital JEDI consortium at an event hosted by partner La Colaborativa in Chelsea, where attendees heard from grant partners and funder MBI, networked, and toured the new Chelsea Survival Center.
The MassHire Metro North Workforce Board (MNWB) and its Work to THRIVE (WtT) Initiative, along with valuable community partners, are proud to announce the launch of the Digital Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Consortium. This groundbreaking initiative aims to address digital inequities in the Metro North and North Shore regions of Massachusetts through comprehensive digital literacy training, device refurbishment and distribution, education, outreach, and adoption programs.
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The Digital JEDI program offers a comprehensive suite of services, including recruiting, hiring, training, and supporting a cohort of 32 Digital Navigators (DNs) dedicated to priority communities. It includes tiered digital literacy classes at Career Centers and community-based organizations, as well as the distribution of high-quality refurbished laptops, peripherals, internet access, and IT support for residents. The structure in each community is specifically tailored to meet its unique needs, ensuring a targeted and effective approach to addressing digital equity challenges.
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MNWB President & CEO, Chris Albrizio-Lee, speaks at the Digital JEDI Consortium announcement event
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La Colaborativa Executive Director, Gladys Vega, gives event attendees a tour of the Chelsea Survival Center
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Celebrating Entrepreneurial Success in the Somerville NewBiz Program
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A huge congratulations to the three cohorts of participants that completed the Somerville NewBiz Entrepreneur Program! This 10-week program for immigrants in Somerville interested in starting a business taught participants the basics of entrepreneurship, digital literacy, and financial literacy. Program participants were paired with a local small business mentor to guide them. We celebrated the participants with a ceremony and heard their final business pitches. The first cohort, conducted in English, was completed in March, while the Spanish and Portuguese language cohorts concluded in June.
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Across all three cohorts, business ideas spanned industries including communications, pets, food, translation services, immigration services, fashion, tax help, allergy-friendly hair/skin studios, spa services, jewelry, travel, childcare, occupational safety, cleaning, counseling, sports leagues, and construction. Participants shared how this program helped them gain the confidence needed to start their entrepreneurial journey and highlighted the crucial role their mentors played in their success.
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“Boston Precise Translations would like to thank MassHire Metro North Workforce Board and the City of Somerville for designing this wonderful NewBiz Entrepreneurship program, along with our instructors Michael and Milla for presenting each topic with care and passion; our mentor who coached us and supported us in establishing our business; and the various guests who shared their entrepreneurial journeys with us,” said Steeve Auguste, NewBiz Entrepreneur program completer and CEO of Boston Precise Translations.
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This program is made possible by our funder, the City of Somerville, and partners: Somerville Community Corporation (SCC) and The Welcome Project.
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From Shriver Job Corps to Wildfires: The Empowering Journey of James Gaudet
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Job Corps graduate James Gaudet recently visited the Job Corps campus after completing an Advanced Training program. James initially enrolled at Shriver Job Corps as a residential student, where he completed two trade programs—Security and Protective Services and Office Administration—earning numerous credentials along the way. His FEMA credentials include certifications in Active Shooter What You Can Do, Basic Workplace Security Awareness, Multi-hazard Emergency Planning for Schools, Intro to Incident Command System, and Intro to Hazardous Materials MA.
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Additionally, James obtained certifications from the American Heart Association in CPR, AED, First Aid, and Heart Saver Bloodborne Pathogens. From Microsoft, he earned Office Specialist credentials in Word and PowerPoint. While excelling in his on-campus endeavors, James explored advanced training opportunities offered by Job Corps. He applied to the Advanced Wildland Firefighting training program at Trapper Creek Job Corps in Montana and was successfully accepted. Following his training, James traveled to California, Idaho, Washington, and Montana, putting his acquired skills to work in the challenging task of fighting wildfires. While excelling in his on-campus endeavors, James explored advanced training opportunities offered by Job Corps. He applied to the Advanced Wildland Firefighting training program at Trapper Creek Job Corps in Montana and was successfully accepted.
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At the age of 21, James now possesses the skills, experience, and confidence necessary to build a rewarding career. His journey at Shriver Job Corps showcases the impactful role that this program plays in empowering individuals for success in their chosen fields!
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Building on the daily work of STEM educators, Mass STEM Week is a state-wide initiative that empowers all students to see themselves in STEM careers. Get involved with STEM Week October 2024 by visiting: www.metronorthstem.org
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Armstrong Ambulance visited students at Burlington High School and Revere High School to host a hands-on Touch-a-Truck event. These events were crafted to actively engage students in exploring careers in medicine and to acquaint them with Armstrong Ambulance's Emergency First Responder training program.
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Somerville High School students participated in a STEM Careers Fair where employers discussed career opportunities in various STEM fields, including healthcare, engineering, advanced manufacturing, and environmental science.
Our board member, Reed Brockman, a structural engineer with AECOM, engaged students with activities to enhance their understanding of bridge and tunnel structures and the career possibilities within this pathway.
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Revere High School students had the opportunity to interact with STEM professionals from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, engaging in discussions about their career paths and the triumphs and challenges they faced in their educational and professional journeys. Panelists included Pallavi Mande, Director of Climate Resilient Design at BSC Group; Brian Madrigal, Lead Program Specialist at LabCentral Ignite; and Lema Abuoqab, a pre-med student at Tufts University and a published children's author.
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Revere High School students engaged in roundtable discussions with participants and representatives from apprenticeship pathways, training programs, certificate programs, and colleges. During these discussions, they sought valuable insights to help them identify the next steps in their STEM journey.
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We are partnering with SCALE to offer FREE English Classes for Somerville small business employees which will start July 2nd through September 5th! Flyer available in alternative languages on our social media channels.
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Check out these programs now recruiting with our partner, Cambridge Community Learning Center.
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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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The MassHire Metro North Career Centers are hiring for several positions at the MassHire Boston ABCD Career Center, operated by Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. Join the growing team and help individuals achieve their employment goals while assisting businesses in finding the talent they need. Check out these positions:
Career Advisor: This customer-facing role provides career planning services, including career assessment, labor market information, career guidance, goal setting, employment plan development, training access, job matching, job referrals, resume assistance, interviewing, and more. Apply here.
Career Advisor Resource Room/Workshop Facilitator: This customer-facing role offers basic employment services, such as resume assistance, interviewing, job referrals, labor market information, and more. The role also involves creating and facilitating both virtual and in-person job search workshops. Apply here.
Business Services Representative: This business-facing role provides consulting and job matching services to businesses. Responsibilities include researching the local labor market, connecting with hiring businesses, linking businesses with jobseekers, and offering guidance and resources throughout the business cycle. Apply here.
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A full calendar of upcoming meetings can be found HERE
August 9: Board of Directors Meeting, 10:30AM-12:00PM (ZOOM)
September 18: Quarterly Board Meeting, 8:30AM-10:30AM (ZOOM)
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Connect with us on social media!
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