Program overview
The Workforce Skills Cabinet was created in 2015, bringing together the Secretariats of Education, Labor and Workforce Development and Housing and Economic Development in order to align education, workforce, and economic development strategies across the state.
STEM Tech Career Academies combine and extend key elements of the highly successful Early College and early career Innovation Pathways programs that were launched several years ago, including technical curriculum, work-based learning experiences, post-secondary courses, and college and career coaching.
The administration anticipates that by fall of 2023, more than 75 high schools will have students enrolled in Innovation Pathway programs and 65 high schools will have Early College programs, which can serve as starting points for STEM Tech Career Academies.
As of October 2022, $5 million in multi-year grants was committed to cover the costs of planning, implementation, and launch for STEM Tech Career Academies. High schools, community colleges and employers will work together to plan and launch five different STEM Tech Career Academies across the Commonwealth.
The initiative is modeled after P-Tech, a grades 9-14 school model where students earn a high school diploma, an industry-recognized associate degree and gain relevant work experience in a growing field. Students completing a P-Tech program are typically provided with hiring preferences by participating employers.
Workforce Skills Cabinet goals
The Workforce Skills Cabinet has adopted criteria to guide its collaborative work:
- Be Demand-Driven: Meets a business-driven need, as documented in the funding application and verified in the funding review, award, and implementation
- Leverages Partnerships: Builds connections between and among educational institutions (including middle/high schools, community colleges, and state colleges/universities), and between educational institutions, private sector businesses and non-profit organizations
- Responds to Regional Plans: Responds to Workforce Skills Cabinet Regional Planning Blueprint and aligns to existing regional economic development, workforce development, and higher education plans to meet the business-driven need
- Maximizes Increase in Skilled Workers: Leads to an increase in the number of skilled workers in a cost-effective way to meet business-driven hiring needs, and, to the greatest extent possible, focuses on improving the skills of students and/or individuals facing barriers to employment
- Leverages Other Funding: Builds on other sources of local, state, federal and private funding to meet common goals
- Builds on Proven Programs: Supports or expands a program that has shown proven results, or is based on a model that has shown proven results
- Demonstrates Sustainability: Shows evidence of the ability to sustain a contribution to the workforce pipeline after grant funds have expired
STEM Tech Career Academies and Career Pathways for Massachusetts Students
STEM Tech Career Academies combine and extend key elements of the highly successful Early College and early career Innovation Pathways programs that were launched several years ago, including technical curriculum, work-based learning experiences, post-secondary courses, and college and career coaching.