Council committee reviews $452,919 in workforce-development grants to city career centers

Boston — The Boston City Council’s Committee on Labor, Workforce and Economic Development on Aug. 29 heard presentations on six workforce-development grants totaling $452,919 that the Office of Workforce Development plans to accept and administer through two city career centers. The grants, sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu, are intended to support adult education career pathways, shelter residents, youth employment programs, a hiring platform, and enhanced services for TAFDC and SNAP participants.

The grants matter because they fund services that connect residents to training, job counseling, hiring events and direct placements through the city’s career centers managed by Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) and Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD). Committee Chair Councilor Ben Weber said he intends to bring the grants to the committee for a vote on Sept. 10.

Joseph Lay, chief of staff for the Worker Empowerment Cabinet, summarized the six dockets and their purposes and noted the funding sources. “These grants are one of the funds that we’ve talked about many times,” Lay said, adding that the state distributes single‑door formula funds to the MassHire Department of Career Services, which oversees career centers statewide. Lay said the six dockets include: docket 1349 (Adult learners/ACLS) for $33,519.76; docket 1403 (shelter supplement funding) for $136,722.35; docket 1405 (Northeastern/William T. Grant pass‑through) for $120,000 to support a new city hiring platform; docket 1406 (State Street Global Advisors Foundation pass‑through) for $70,000 for youth work‑and‑learn supports; docket 1407 (Baupost Group pass‑through) for $50,000 for youth programs; and docket 1408 (USDA Food and Nutrition Service pass‑through via MassHire) for $45,683.03 for enhanced job services for TAFDC and SNAP participants.

Lay described how the two career centers — JVS at 75 Federal Street and ABCD at 10 Malcolm X Boulevard — provide individualized services including career counseling, labor‑market information, workshops, hiring events, funding for training and direct placement. “It’s very much an individualized approach,” Lay said of services for people with disabilities, describing counselors’ work to match training and employer requirements to each job seeker’s needs.

Committee members asked about outreach to residents in shelters, community‑college bridge programs, and life‑sciences training. Lay said career‑center staff work with on‑site liaisons at shelters and with community partners such as Saint Francis House to reach residents and that bridge programs connect participants to community colleges and state programs such as MassReconnect. On industry demand, Lay said some sectors such as life sciences have hiring slowdowns but that training remains necessary for long‑term workforce pipelines.

Amy Nischman, senior vice president of strategy at Jewish Vocational Services and a career‑center representative in the public‑testimony portion, described how JVS serves a broad range of job seekers. “Everybody who becomes unemployed is referred to the career center, but it’s also open to literally every single city resident who needs help with their job search,” she said, noting in‑person and online services, job fairs and the distribution of WIOA vouchers for training.

Discussion items and direction included requests for clearer details about how shelter outreach is conducted and how community‑college connections are maintained. Lay said he would follow up with JVS and ABCD for more specific answers about outreach into shelters and the mechanics of placements. Chair Weber said the committee will consider the grants for a vote at the Sept. 10 meeting.

No formal committee vote was recorded at the Aug. 29 hearing. The matters were introduced in prior council actions and are listed on the committee docket for future action.

Background: The committee convened virtually under Chapter 2 of the Acts of February 2025, which temporarily modified certain Open Meeting Law requirements; the grants noted are awarded through the MassHire Department of Career Services and pass through philanthropic partners named in the dockets. JVS and ABCD are the two career‑center operators identified to receive and administer the funds on behalf of the city.