For this year's awards, all nominations must be submitted by September 12, 2025.
The fifth annual MassHire Awards will recognize and reward exceptional innovations in workforce service delivery in support of the MassHire mission and vision.
- This page, Submit a nomination for the MassHire Awards, is offered by
- MassHire Department of Career Services
Submit a nomination for the MassHire Awards
Contacts
MassHire State Workforce Board (MSWB)
The Details
What you need to know
In recognition of ongoing efforts to modernize and upgrade our systems, the theme of the 2025 MassHire Awards is Leaning Into the Future. MassHire continues to bridge gaps for both jobseekers and employers - innovating, collaborating, and leading with purpose.
This year’s awards celebrate forward-thinking, future-framing efforts across the system.
Awards will be presented in the following categories:
- Collaboration (Business Partnership and Jobseeker Partnership)
- Modernization and Innovation
- Mentor and System Steward
- MassHire Emerging Leader
- Spirit of MassHire
One statewide award will be presented in each category to the top nominee. Additional regional awards will recognize outstanding nominations from each of the seven workforce planning regions.
Award winners will be honored at the Massachusetts State House on November 19, 2025.
How to submit
To submit your nomination(s), please complete the online MassHire Awards Nomination Form. NOTE: Nominated activities must have occurred after January 2024.
All nominations should respond to the following core prompt: How did the work achieved by this individual or team result in innovative, sustainable change and positive outcomes for our customers, our community, and/or our MassHire colleagues? If long-term effects are not yet known, please describe plans for sustainability. Consider what outcomes can be highlighted and whether the activity or approach can be replicated.
In addition to the core prompt, each award category includes a specific question that must also be addressed in the nomination narrative. See below for the list of categories, descriptions, and their corresponding questions.
We strongly encourage:
- Concise and specific nominations that clearly describe the impact.
- Nominations highlighting the work of front-line staff who serve employers and jobseekers.
- Recognition of administrative and non-front-line staff whose work contributes to the system’s success.
There is no page or word limit, but submissions should be at least one page in length to provide enough detail. Each nomination should contain two (2) letter of recommendations in support of the nominee’s work. The authors of these letters can be jobseekers, businesses, MassHire staff, and/or partner organization staff. If a team is nominated, the writer cannot be a member of the team. The letter is limited to one page, single-spaced. The letter should describe the nominee’s relationship with the writer and describe the specific ways in which the nominee effected positive and sustainable change.
Award categories
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Collaboration
MassHire believes in the power of partnership and streamlined integration of services to achieve effective and timely results for those we serve. This award will honor a partnership or partnerships that deliver significant positive impacts for businesses and/or a collaboration that uniquely assists job-seeking customers with career services, including the removal of barriers to employment. Two awards will be given, one for an innovative business services initiative and one for an innovative workforce project, strategy, or initiative in the delivery of career services. Nominations can be made once each.
Nomination prompt: How did the nominee maintain or create effective partnerships which led to above and beyond results for customers? (Indicate whether it is Employer/Business or Career Services nomination)
Modernization and Innovation
MassHire recognizes the change maker, the innovator, and risk-taker who leverages field expertise, relationships, and data to adapt to emerging needs and seizes opportunity through innovative approaches. This award seeks to recognize the person or team who serves as a catalyst for reimagining career and employer service delivery to achieve individual and regional impact.
Nomination prompt: How was the nominee proactive in developing new skills, models, approaches, innovations, etc. which led to strong outcomes with a lasting impact on staff, partners, and/or customers?
MassHire Emerging Leaders
MassHire takes pride in the caliber of people who do the work every day. This award recognizes individuals who are new to MassHire (with less than 5 years of experience providing direct service) and embody the future of career services and customer-focused success.
Nomination prompt: How did the nominee show leadership, initiative, and embodiment of MassHire values in their first years at the organization?
Mentor and System Steward
Mentors gain expertise from years of experience, trial and error, and long-term partnerships, and they strive to imbue these values and lessons in the next generation of leaders at MassHire. Workforce development requires broad appreciation of various systems, their interconnections, and how best to position individuals for collective success. Leaders and managers strive to proactively develop their employees and empower those who will follow them, benefiting from years of accumulated experience. This award honors the leader who embodies shepherding emerging leaders while providing opportunity for groundbreaking ideas.
Nomination prompt: How has the nominee worked to instill the next generation of leaders with the values of MassHire and worked to mentor employees and emerging leaders?
Spirit of MassHire Award
MassHire envisions a better future for people and businesses of Massachusetts through meaningful work and sustainable growth. Spirit of MassHire awardees value the diverse requirements and professional goals of the businesses and people we serve. We promise to champion prosperity by connecting employers with talent and job seekers with the tools, services, and connections they need to achieve their employment and career goals. This year’s award will be granted in honor of David Gadaire, after his recent passing, a long-time MassHire leader who embodied the work of MassHire.
Nomination prompt: With everything we have to do every day, it’s easy to just keep plugging away at a job without seeing the bigger picture.
- How does this nominee engage in meaningful work with an understanding of the MassHire Vision?
- How does the nominee’s efforts contribute to the long-term goals of the organization and the system?
Nomination and Winner Review and Selection Process
All complete nominations will be reviewed and scored by the State Workforce Development Board Recognition Subcommittee, a diverse group of stakeholders from inside and outside of MassHire. The highest scoring nominations will advance to Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development for final review and selection of statewide and regional winners.
A workforce region or area can win a maximum of two statewide awards and each workforce area may submit nominations to all six categories.
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