• This page, Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Nearly $15 Million in Skills Capital Grants, is   offered by
  • Executive Office of Education
Press Release

Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Nearly $15 Million in Skills Capital Grants

Funds will support 65 high schools, colleges, and educational institutions in upgrading technology and lab spaces, expanding career programs for young people and adults
For immediate release:
6/11/2024
  • Executive Office of Education
  • Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

Media Contact   for Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Nearly $15 Million in Skills Capital Grants

Alana Davidson, Director of Communications

Secretary Tutwiler and Secretary Jones tour the HVAC lab at Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School

MARLBOROUGH — The Healey-Driscoll administration announced that it is awarding nearly $15 million in Skills Capital Grants to 65 high schools, colleges, and educational institutions. This funding, announced at Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, will support schools and institutions to upgrade technology and instructional lab spaces, expand career programs for young people and adults, and increase capacity in workforce training programs across Massachusetts.

“We want to ensure that what students learn in school helps them get where they want to go, while also meeting our workforce needs,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These Skills Capital Grants will ensure our students and adult learners have access to innovative technology, equipment, and spaces to gain the skills they need to prepare them for successful careers in high demand industries.”

“Schools receiving Skills Capital Grants partner with local businesses and align curriculum and credentials with industry standards, ensuring our students are prepared for when they enter the workforce,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “These grants are a win for our students, schools, employers and local communities.”

The Skills Capital Grants are awarded by the state’s Workforce Skills Cabinet, which brings together the Secretariats of Education, Labor and Workforce Development, Economic Development, and Health and Human Services. This Cabinet works to align education, economic development, and workforce policies to meet employers’ demand for skilled workers in every region of Massachusetts. The competitive grants are awarded to educational institutions that demonstrate partnerships with local businesses, as well as align curriculum and credentials with industry demand to maximize hiring opportunities.

“Skills Capital grants provide students with the modern and immersive spaces and tools to prepare them for them for the workforce and successful careers,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “These are the spaces, resources, and experiences that they deserve. I am so grateful for schools like Assabet Valley Technical High School that are utilizing these grants to reimagine student learning experiences with updated technology and equipment.”

“As an initiative of the Workforce Skills Cabinet, the Skills Capital Grants provide valuable resources for our vocational schools to benefit students and adult learners with hands-on tools and equipment,” said Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones. “The Healey-Driscoll Administration appreciates partnering with awarded schools to collaborate in preparing our future workforce with critical skills training for career paths in fields like manufacturing, construction, and other trades.”

Skills Capital Grants have improved learning experiences across several high demand fields, including to purchase training equipment aligned with current industry-standard technology and workforce demands in the automotive industry. The funds have also been used to modernize and expand instructional lab spaces to increase enrollment in HVAC programs and purchase new equipment to provide specialized training for careers in offshore wind projects, green technologies, and energy efficiency. Further, some organizations have used funding to purchase virtual reality equipment to help students with disabilities earn credentials that lead to professions in the health services industry, including certified nursing assistants.

“We want students to have learning experiences that are relevant, real-world and interactive, and Skills Capital Grants help make that possible,” said Acting Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Russell Johnston. “Working with the right equipment helps bring lessons to life and connect school to students’ futures.”

Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School has been awarded several Skills Capital Grants since fiscal year 2022, totaling $2,767,691, including nearly $500,000 from this round, which will support the school’s Electrical and Automotive Technology programs to purchase training equipment aligned with current industry-standard technology and workforce demands.

Yesterday, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones, Acting Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Russell Johnston, Superintendent Ernest Houle, and local officials toured their new HVAC lab that was supported by more than $1.2 million from a previous round of Skills Capital Grants.

"Assabet Valley RVSD is honored to receive the FY24 Skills Capital Grant, enabling us to further enhance our Electrical and Automotive Technology programs. This grant reflects our commitment to meeting industry demands, expanding enrollment, and equipping our students with the skills for success in high-demand fields. We are grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for the support that will empower our students to excel in their careers and post-secondary pursuits," said Assabet Valley RVSD Superintendent-Director, Ernest F. Houle.

“I am delighted to see Assabet Valley receive this grant to buy the equipment needed to ensure that students enter the workforce with the skills to succeed,” said Representative Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury). “We need more people going into the trades, which provide steady, good paying jobs for working people. Thank you to the Executive Office of Education and the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development for prioritizing this crucial workforce training.”

“For over 50 years AVRTHS has been serving our region by providing our students with the critical technical skills needed to succeed in the world,” said Representative Danielle Gregoire (D-4th Middlesex). “I am thrilled that our Administration has recognized this excellence and has awarded this critical grant, ensuring our students have the most updated resources and tools they need.”

Latest Round of Grantees:

AwardeeGrant Amount
ACCEPT Education Collaborative$75,000
Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School$499,980
Barnstable High School$500,000
Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology$238,000
Berkshire Community College$85,000
Blackstone Valley Technical High School$153,000
Bourne High School$50,000
Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School$500,000
Brockton High School$500,000
Cape Cod Community College$154,034
Danvers High School$150,000
Dighton Rehoboth Regional High School$316,628
Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School $350,000
Fitchburg State University$300,000
Gloucester High School$93,000
Greater Fall River Regional Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School$250,000
Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School$250,000
Greenfield Community College$210,000
Holyoke Community College$375,000
Holyoke High School$500,000
Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts, Inc.$70,000
Just A Start$80,600
Keefe Regional Technical School (South Middlesex Regional Vocational)$195,753
Lawrence High School$150,000
Leicester High School$371,987
Leominster Center for Technical Education Innovation$499,307
Lower Pioneer Valley Career and Technical Education Center$250,000
Marblehead High School$75,000
Massachusetts Maritime Academy$200,000
Massasoit Community College$100,000
MassBay Community College$188,810
Middlesex Community College$450,000
Millbury Memorial High School$75,000
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School $275,000
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School$300,000
Monument Mountain Regional High School$129,810
Mount Wachusett Community College$425,000
Nashoba Regional High school$75,000
Nashoba Valley Technical High School$275,000
North Shore Community College$90,528
Northampton High School$185,890
Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School$50,000
Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District, McCann Technical School$84,150
Peabody High School$250,000
Pentucket Regional High School$140,301
Pittsfield High School$247,705
Plymouth South High School$201,630
Quaboag Regional High School$75,000
Quincy College$195,000
Quincy High School$188,527
Quinsigamond Community College$171,016
Randolph High School$145,993
Reading Public Schools (Reading Memorial High School)$75,000
READS Collaborative$190,000
Salem High School$347,626
Shawsheen Valley Technical High Schools$361,950
Somerville High School, Center for Career & Technical Education$204,897
South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School$300,000
Springfield Technical Community College$306,643
Uxbridge High School$142,000
Waltham High School$499,921
Webster Public Schools, Bartlett High School$75,000
Westfield Technical Academy$141,260
Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School$350,000
Worcester Public Schools, North High School$60,000

###

Media Contact   for Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Nearly $15 Million in Skills Capital Grants

  • Executive Office of Education 

    From pre-school to post-secondary education, the Executive Office of Education works to connect all Massachusetts residents with a high-quality education regardless of their circumstance, zip code, or socioeconomic status.
  • Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development  

    The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development cultivates a skilled workforce across industries, provides economic stability for workers affected by job loss, injury, or illness, and upholds standards for safe working conditions.
  • Help Us Improve Mass.gov  with your feedback

    Please do not include personal or contact information.
    Feedback