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Mass. bill would create high-school trade partnerships, offer employer tax credit
Summary
Representative Mark Soter and Uxbridge educators urged the Joint Committee on Revenue to report favorably on H.3249, which would establish a high school trade partnership program linking public schools with private employers for credit-bearing vocational training and create an employer tax credit capped at $100,000 per employer per year.
Representative Mark Soter told the Joint Committee on Revenue that H.3249 aims "to stabilize and grow the Massachusetts economy by empowering our students and investing directly in our technical education infrastructure." He testified the bill would create a high school trade partnership program enabling public high schools to formalize training partnerships with private employers that award academic and vocational credit for classroom instruction and structured on-site work-based learning.
Dr. Michael Rubin, principal at Uxbridge High School, described his district's pathway work and urged the committee to "codify this pathway and back it with strategic tax relief." Rubin said a local manufacturing pathway grew from 14 students to "more than 300," and that hands-on training at school and with employers helps students earn technical certifications and keeps skilled talent in Massachusetts. He urged scaling the approach so other districts can replicate the pipeline.
The bill would require the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to promulgate regulations establishing minimum standards for employer participation, student academic thresholds, and on-site supervision and safety. Participating school districts or municipalities must appoint advisory committees to evaluate combined applications from schools and private employers.
Representative Soter and the witnesses said the bill also includes a dollar-for-dollar tax incentive for qualifying employers. Under the text described in testimony, the credit would equal 100% of qualifying expenditures with a maximum credit of $100,000 per employer per year. Proponents said that incentive is necessary to secure employer commitment and expand work-based learning statewide.
Witnesses cited other states with comparable efforts, noting Florida and Idaho programs that support demand-driven career training. Proponents asked the committee to report H.3249 favorably so the commonwealth can expand local employer–school partnerships and strengthen the skilled labor pipeline.
No committee votes or formal amendments were recorded during the hearing portion covered in the transcript.
