Press Release  PHOTO RELEASE: MassSkills Coalition Holds Employer Convening Promoting Skills-Based Hiring

BOSTON — Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones and the MassSkills Coalition recently hosted an employer convening focused on skills-based (or skills-first) best practices for hiring, retention, and upward mobility, and highlighting why businesses should implement skills-based hiring strategies. The convening, which attracted over 125 registered attendees, was held at Bank of America Financial Center and featured sessions geared toward employers and workforce partners. 

The MassSkills Coalition builds on the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s workforce agenda to attract, retain, and develop diverse talent in Massachusetts. 

“The Healey-Driscoll Administration values bringing together employers and workforce partners to promote effective approaches to connect hiring employers with jobseekers, and skills-based hiring is a proven strategy that attracts and retains talent,” said Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones. “The MassSkills Coalition appreciates elevating the voices of employers leading by example and ready to learn from each other as we grow a stronger, more competitive, and equitable workforce in regions and industries across Massachusetts.” 

As Co-Chair of the Coalition, Secretary Jones kicked off the convening with a fireside chat featuring Jane Steinmetz, EY Boston’s Managing Principle. Steinmetz highlighted why skills-based hiring is important to EY nationally and locally. EY and Bank of America, among others, are part of the Business Roundtable’s national skills-first initiative. Today’s convening also featured remarks by other MassSkills Coalition Co-Chairs including Tonja Mettlach of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, Chrissy Lynch of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, and Jerry Rubin of Eastern Bank Foundation and Harvard University. 

“Employers continue to have difficulty finding trained workers to fill open jobs, which necessitates new ways of thinking about talent development. As such, the Roundtable has been focusing on strategies to tap untapped talent and diversify workforce pipelines. Skills-first talent strategies are increasingly becoming more imperative as Roundtable members explore and implement new ways to attract, retain, and develop diverse talent,” said Co-Chair and Executive Vice President at the Massachusetts Business Roundtable Tonja Mettlach. “The MassSkills Coalition will be at the forefront of those efforts, and today’s convening was an excellent opportunity to bring employers and stakeholders together to learn, share, and shape the future of the Coalition’s work. Thank you to Secretary Jones for her leadership in both conceiving of, and driving this initiative forward, and to the Coalition’s co-chairs for their partnership.”

"A high-priced college degree should not be a requirement for access to a middle-class career. That’s why at the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, many of our unions and their employer partners already utilize a skills-based approach to hiring,” said Coalition Co-Chair and Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Chrissy Lynch. “The MassSkills Coalition and the Healey Administration's support and promotion of a skills-based approach to hiring will help foster a more inclusive workforce for the future.”

“Skills first talent management is key to ensuring the talent Massachusetts employers need and opening up economic opportunity for all our residents,” said Co-Chair and Foundation Fellow at Eastern Bank Jerry Rubin. “Eastern Bank and its foundation are proud partners and supporters of the MassSkills Coalition.”

In early 2024, Governor Healey signed an Executive Order to institute skills-based hiring in the Executive branch departments and agencies. Through this Executive Order, for the vast majority of job openings, the Healey-Driscoll administration will focus primarily on applicants’ skills, knowledge, and abilities rather than educational credentials. The Executive Order also called for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to publish resources for Massachusetts employers, which prompted the launch of the MassSkills Coalition to promote best practices, peer-to-peer learning, and opportunities for employers to reimagine hiring policies to include skills-based strategies. 

The event also included an overview on skills-based practices for hiring, retention and advancement by Grads for Life, and two panels focused on data and measurement of skills-first practices and what is possible for the state moving forward. The Commonwealth’s Chief Human Resources Officer Melissa Pullin joined two employers, 88 Acres and Northern Essex Community College, who have implemented skills-based hiring to discuss their efforts and share their challenges, opportunities, and successes.

The MassSkills Coalition welcomes employers and workforce partners to join the network and access available resources to promote skills-based hiring strategies. To learn more and request to join, visit: www.mass.gov/massskills.  

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