The English High School will be one of 35 high schools to receive support for vocational technical education and training equipment purchases as a result of $9.3 million in grant money the Baker administration is distributing, according to a press release.
The English High School’s $137,888 grant will be used to launch a new vocational program in protective services that will prepare students for entry into the City’s police cadet program.
“These workforce development grants will build bridges between residents seeking careers to build a future on, and the employers who need a skilled workforce to grow the state’s economy,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, according to the press release. “Today, too many good-paying jobs are going unfilled, because employers are struggling to find skilled employees. This investment in training equipment will enable high schools and community colleges across the Commonwealth to equip students with the skills they need to secure a bright future.”
The Workforce Skills Capital Grant Program is a new initiative on the Governor’s Workforce Skills Cabinet, which seeks to align education, workforce, and economic development strategies across the state. The new program is a consolidation of two former grant programs: Manufacturing Training Equipment grants, which were administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development; and Vocational Opportunity Challenge grants, which were overseen by the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.
The inaugural round of the Workforce Skills Capital Grant program received 68 applications seeking a total of $18 million in funding.
“We are leveraging our resources to take the public dollars that are available and funneling them into places that can provide the skills and job training that residents need for the jobs that are available,” said Ronald L. Walker, state secretary of labor and workforce development, according to the press release. “The goal is to have all our resources integrated around meeting the talent needs in a particular region.”