FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE
August 7, 2026
MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board Secures State Grant to Sustain Regional CNA Workforce Pipeline
NEW BEDFORD, Mass — The MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board, serving as the lead applicant for the MassHire Southeast Region 6 Workforce Boards, has been awarded a new $499,865 Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF) grant through Commonwealth Corporation to sustain Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training throughout Southeastern Massachusetts.
The award will ensure the continuation of one of the region’s largest coordinated healthcare workforce initiatives, serving residents and healthcare employers across the MassHire Greater New Bedford, Bristol, Greater Brockton, and South Shore Workforce Boards.
The investment builds upon more than six years of collaboration among the four MassHire Workforce Boards, Career Centers, healthcare training providers, and employer partners to strengthen the region’s healthcare workforce. Since launching the regional initiative, the partnership has trained hundreds of individuals for careers in healthcare while helping employers address persistent workforce shortages.
Healthcare remains the largest employment sector in the MassHire Southeast Region 6, accounting for approximately 14 percent of regional employment. Labor market data and employer commitments continue to demonstrate strong and sustained demand for Certified Nursing Assistants, with hundreds of current and projected vacancies throughout the region.
The grant will allow the Workforce Boards to continue offering accessible CNA training while strengthening outreach, participant support services, case management, employer engagement, and regional coordination. It also positions the partnership to respond to future healthcare workforce needs as Commonwealth Corporation continues to evaluate additional workforce development strategies.
“This award reflects the confidence the Commonwealth has in the work our regional partnership has accomplished over the past several years,” said Duarte Silva, MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board Chair and President/CEO, South Coast Federal Credit Union. “Our healthcare employers continue to tell us they need qualified Certified Nursing Assistants, and this funding allows us to maintain a proven workforce pipeline while preparing for future healthcare workforce opportunities across the region.”
Healthcare employers throughout Southeastern Massachusetts continue to identify Certified Nursing Assistants as one of their most critical hiring needs. Through ongoing collaboration with hospitals, long-term care providers, rehabilitation facilities, home health agencies, behavioral health organizations, and other healthcare employers, the MassHire Southeast Region 6 partnership has developed a responsive training model aligned with regional workforce demand.
“Our regional approach has demonstrated that when workforce boards, Career Centers, training providers, and employers work together, we can create meaningful career opportunities while helping employers meet their workforce needs,” said Michael Santos, Executive Director/CEO of the MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board. “This funding allows us to sustain a successful CNA training pipeline that has become an important resource for healthcare employers across Southeastern Massachusetts. At the same time, it provides the flexibility to build upon that foundation as new healthcare workforce opportunities emerge.”
The MassHire Southeast Region 6 partnership serves nearly 60 communities across Southeastern Massachusetts, including six Gateway Cities, and remains the region’s only coordinated CNA training pipeline operating at this scale. The initiative creates career pathways for unemployed and underemployed residents while helping healthcare providers strengthen and stabilize their workforce.
Individuals interested in future training opportunities or healthcare employers interested in partnering with the initiative may contact Jacqueline Sylvia, Senior Director, at 774.762.5064 or email jacqueline@mhgnb.com.
