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Labor and Workforce Development outlines FY2026 workforce investments focused on apprenticeships, youth and technical training
Summary
Secretary Leila A. Jones told the Joint Committee on Ways and Means that Governor Healey’s FY2026 LWD proposal includes $112.9 million in state funding to expand youth employment, career technical training, registered apprenticeships and flexible workforce grants while modernizing unemployment services.
Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Leila A. Jones told the Joint Committee on Ways and Means in Gloucester on March 10 that the Healy administration’s FY2026 budget for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) proposes $112.9 million in state funding to support workforce programs alongside federal grants and trust funds.
Key priorities presented - Youth employment: The budget recommends $15.7 million for YouthWorks to provide structured work experience and a 15–20 hour “Signal Success” curriculum, projecting roughly 4,580 youth placements for summer and year‑round programs. - Trades and technical training: The Career Technical Initiative (CTI) would receive additional funds (nearly $14 million total in partnership with the Executive Office of Education) to expand training at vocational schools for adult learners and other pathways into construction and technical trades. - Registered apprenticeship: The Governor’s budget includes $3.3 million to grow registered apprenticeship programs in both traditional trades and expanded industries (life sciences, early education) and to diversify apprenticeship participation. - Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF): The proposal recommends $10 million to provide flexible grant funding through Commonwealth Corporation to regional workforce boards, training providers and employers; recent WCTF investments targeted employer‑responsive training and reentry programs.
Unemployment insurance and customer service Secretary Jones described DUA’s continuing modernization and a planned May rollout of an updated claimant experience for the unemployment insurance system (following an earlier employer‑side launch). She said the department is adding temporary call center capacity (about 140 additional staff through an emergency contract) while rolling out a multiyear modernization (EMT) project to reduce backlogs and improve adjudication processing.
Populations and equity The administration asked for targeted investments supporting formerly incarcerated individuals (reentry workforce development demonstration), young adults with disabilities, and expanded registered apprenticeship slots for under‑represented groups. Secretary Jones said LWD is coordinating with housing and health agencies to integrate workforce assessment and placements for newly arrived migrants in state‑run shelter to stabilize housing and increase employment placement.
Ending: Secretary Jones asked the committee to consider the proposed appropriations as strategic investments in regional talent pipelines, employer partnerships and apprenticeship expansion, saying the requested funds support both program delivery and IT/shared services to sustain LWD operations.
