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Mass. undersecretary pitches apprenticeship expansion to boost human-services workforce for people with disabilities
Summary
At a Disability Employment Subcommittee meeting, Undersecretary Josh Cutler outlined plans to expand registered apprenticeships into health care and human services, described state incentives (a $4,800 RATC per apprentice, a $4,000 hiring credit plus $2,000 annual disability credit, and GROW grants), and proposed employer convenings and pilots.
Undersecretary Josh Cutler told members of the Disability Employment Subcommittee that Massachusetts is expanding registered apprenticeships into sectors such as early education, health care and human services to help address workforce shortages and improve opportunities for people with disabilities.
Cutler, the state's Undersecretary of Labor and Workforce, said apprenticeships are an "earn while you learn" model that can improve recruitment and retention while providing credentials. "Apprenticeships are a proven model," he said, adding the state has encouraged employers with a mix of supports including technical assistance, liaisons, grants and tax incentives.
The administration recently won a $5,000,000 federal grant to support early-education apprenticeships, Cutler said, and it has expanded state supports such as the Registered Apprenticeship Tax Credit (RATC). "By statute, [the RATC] applies to certain sectors," he said, and described the credit as $4,800 per apprentice that can be claimed twice depending on the apprenticeship length, with a per-company cap he cited at $100,000 annually. Cutler also described a separate disability employment tax credit of $4,000 at hiring and $2,000 in subsequent years for eligible hires.
Cutler said the Division of Apprentice Standards has added liaison staff and lowered registration fees to reduce barriers for employers. During questions he clarified the ongoing registration fee had been reduced and characterized fees as "not a major" barrier for most employers. He described intermediaries such as trade associations and education partners — including MassBankers and MassBioEd — that can host programs and handle administrative tasks so employers can focus on training and hiring.
Committee members raised practical concerns and ideas: several suggested targeting specific occupations with strong demand, including sterile processing technicians and certified nursing assistants, and tapping community colleges to provide related classroom instruction and credentialing. Members proposed a targeted virtual panel of employers, intermediary organizations and apprenticeship sponsors to showcase successful models and to pressure-test pilot occupations; Cutler and staff welcomed that approach and offered to help bring in sponsor employers and regional team members.
Cutler also described the administration's GROW grants program, which awards competitive funding to employers and intermediaries to start or expand apprenticeship programs; he said last fall's awards totaled about $2,100,000 and that a new cycle is typically timed after budget passage.
The subcommittee did not take any formal new votes on policy changes; members agreed to follow up with Cutler's team about convening employers, identifying pilot occupations and coordinating technical assistance and grant opportunities.
The meeting opened with routine roll call and a motion to approve the January minutes; Rachel Caprillion moved the minutes be approved and a committee member seconded the motion, which the chair accepted. The meeting adjourned after plans for follow-up were discussed.
