WORKFORCE CONNECTIONS - Vol. 67 | | |
In This Issue:
- State & Federal Policy Updates
- MWA Updates: Upcoming events from our partners.
- News From Around the Sector: Jobs, funding, news and updates
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State Updates
House Releases
FY27 Budget Proposal
State Budget season is fully underway at the Massachusetts State House. House Leadership unveiled their FY27 $63.3 billion dollar proposal last week, citing fiscal uncertainty and potential challenges in the coming year.
The House proposal leverages $2.7 billion in Fair Share Amendment tax revenue – the fourth year of tax revenue on millionaires in the Commonwealth. These dollars are constitutionally required to be spent on education and transportation and see $127 million expended on continuing the Commonwealth’s free community college initiative.
With federal uncertainty looming, the House proposal’s largest investment continues to be in healthcare spending. $22.36 billion is directed to MassHealth – the Commonwealth’s Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) program.
Workforce Development spending has stayed relatively stable, albeit with minor decreases and increases in various line items. Most notably, YouthWorks allocations were increased by $2 million over the Governor’s recommendation – a massive victory in a difficult fiscal climate. This comes at a time when many workforce programs – including YouthWorks – are falling off a funding cliff created by the infusion of federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below please find the allocations for MWA tracked line items:
- MassHire Career Centers: $7,927,586
- Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF): $10,000,000
- Re-Entry Demonstration: $2,450,250
- YouthWorks/Summer Jobs: $17,365,000
- Career Technical Institutes: $8,898,244
- Registered Apprenticeship: $3,333,577
- Employment Program for Young Adults with Disabilities: $1,000,000
- Department of Economic Research: $780,308
- School-to-Career Connecting Activities: $6,472,081
- Increasing Access to Career & Technical Education: $3,087,315
In addition to the funding items listed above, there are strategic statutory reforms that the House included from the Governor’s proposal.
Workforce Investment Trust Fund Reforms - Currently under the auspices of the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED), this trust fund was created and is funded through revenues from sports wagering. This funding stream has previously been used by EOED to support programs such as the Advanced Manufacturing Program administered by the Mass Technology Collaborative.
The proposed reform would allow the fund to be co-managed by EOED and the Executive Office of Labor & Workforce Development (EOLWD). Funds would be directed to support existing workforce development programs and grants serving low-income communities, unemployed or underemployed individuals, youth and young adults, apprenticeships, work-based learning experiences, and vocational or professional training programs.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is scheduled to debate the FY27 budget proposal starting Monday, April 27.
Advocacy Day
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MWA members participated in an Advocacy Day at the Massachusetts State House on April 7, where they met with local legislators to educate them on the core functions of our Workforce Boards and Career Centers and explain the impact of state funded programs on local areas. Pictured above from left to right are Jeff Turgeon, Zoie Jaklitsch, Greg Bunn, Chris Albrizio-Lee, Ron Iacobucci, Natalia Salagornik, Kevin Coughlin, Robert Cerasoli and Neil Sullivan.
A special thank you to Chairman Paul McMurtry for hosting the MWA and our members at the State House.
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February 2026 Labor Market Update
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported an unemployment rate of 4.8% for February 2026, slightly above the national rate of 4.4%. The previously reported January unemployment rate has been revised to 4.7%.
Labor force participation declined to 66% in February, reflecting a decrease in the share of the working-age population that is either employed or actively seeking work.
For more details, view the April 17, 2026 state press release and access the Massachusetts February 2026 Labor Market Information Data Sheet.
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Federal Updates
Trump Administration Releases "Skinny Budget" Proposal for FY27
President Trump released his “Skinny Budget” proposal last week: Budget of the U.S. Government.
The President’s proposal includes the “Make America Skilled Again” proposal which we expect to combine several WIOA and workforce development programs into a block grant for states. While details have not been fully released, we anticipate this proposal to match the President’s proposal from last year.
In addition to this, the President’s Administration, through U.S. Dept. of Labor (USDOL) have made it clear that WIOA Reauthorization is not a priority. Their focus is on consolidating these programs and creating them in their vision.
It is worth noting that the President’s Skinny Budget is just a proposal, and Congress will need to create their own spending proposals. Last year, we saw Congress take a very different approach to WIOA funding than the President.
In partnership with the United States Workforce Association (USWA) – a coalition of other statewide membership associations – we have already begun our Federal advocacy campaign with Congress. We have submitted budget requests to our Congressional Delegations requesting an increase in WIOA funding.
The MWA will continue to work in coordination with our national colleagues to advocate against block grants and for an increase in funding.
House Republicans Release WIOA Reauthorization Draft
Despite the Trump Administration proposing to consolidate workforce programs, House Republicans in D.C. have taken a different approach – attempting again to reauthorize WIOA and related programs through legislation.
The proposal released in early April largely mirrors efforts from 2024, where the House passed WIOA Reauthorization in April 2024. The bill ultimately failed to pass the Senate before a new Congress started in 2025.
The Republican proposal contains three major provisions that the MWA and our national colleagues oppose:
- The legislation would allow for Governor’s to set aside an additional 10% of State WIOA Allocations to create a new “Critical Industry Skills Fund”. Currently, a State retains 15% of the State’s allocation from WIOA. This would increase the allowable set aside from 15% up to 25%.
- The legislation requires that no less than 50% of the funds allocated to a local area be used to provide training to eligible individuals. Up to 10% of this 50% can be used to provide for supportive services or individual career services (essentially requiring 40% of funds to be used on training).
- The legislation requires the Governor to do an initial review of workforce areas in the state before the third program year after passage. The Governor can propose new workforce areas or keep the current map. If the Governor chooses new workforce areas, the Chief Elected Official (CEOs, often referred to as Lead Elected Officials of LEOs in Massachusetts) need to approve the new map by a majority. If the CEO/LEO do not approve of the new map, they must then choose between aligning local areas with the economic development areas or the planning regions of the state.
The Republican proposal is scheduled for a committee mark up on April 21st. Following that, the committee will need to release the bill. We do not anticipate the bill to move swiftly through the legislative process at this time.
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This month, members of our organization joined workforce leaders from across the country at the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) Forum in Las Vegas.
The conference provided a valuable opportunity to engage in forward-thinking discussions on workforce innovation, policy, and best practices, while also strengthening connections with peers and partners nationwide.
Attendees participated in workshops and sessions focused on emerging trends, including sector partnerships, career pathway development, and strategies to better serve both job seekers and employers.
Pictured above are Peter Farkas, Cole Angley, Kara Galvin and Greg Bunn.
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MWA 2026 Annual Summit
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Annual Workforce Summit! Over two energizing days, workforce leaders, practitioners, and partners from across the region came together to share ideas, explore emerging trends, and strengthen the relationships that drive our work forward.
The Metro South/West Workforce Board's Panel on youth career and education featured leaders from the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce, Metro Southwest Workforce Board, Framingham High School, and Commonwealth Corporation and was moderated by Ken Brown from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Nathalie Gazzaneo from the Project on Workforce at Harvard University delivered a presentation on workforce trends and research.
We look forward to continuing the conversation beyond this summit and building on this momentum together.
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MWA Board of Directors
At its recent Board of Directors meeting, the Association brought together leaders from across the region to review strategic priorities and share program updates.
Congratulations to Karen Pelletier on her appointment as Chair of the MWA Board of Directors. As the Executive Vice President of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, Karen brings a collaborative leadership style that will help guide the organizations continued growth and impact. We send a very sincere thank you to our outgoing Chair, Valerie Sutton for her many years of coommitment to the MWA.
Pictured above (back row) Greg Bunn, Cole Angley, Kevin Lynn, Kara Galvin, Abigail Despres, Maura Geary, Erin Travassos, Charles Gagnon,(Front Row) Kelly Hanlon, Karen Pelletier, Emmanuel Owusu and Lisa Gurgone.
| | NEWS FROM AROUND THE SECTOR | | |
Here is a just sample of the events, funding opportunities, jobs, and more posted around the Commonwealth:
| | Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn for the latest workforce news and updates. | | | | |
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