MISSION: The Massachusetts Workforce Alliance unites individuals, organizations and coalitions to advance sensible workforce development policy that creates true economic opportunity for low-income people.
UNITED: We link a broad range of workforce development providers that find common ground in order to better serve our low-income clients. As a collaborative effort of coalitions, organizations and individuals we see strength in the variety of perspectives our members bring to policy discussions at all levels.
SENSIBLE: We create policy solutions by listening carefully to the intelligence of people on the frontline --practitioners and program participants. This means there is a direct link between the policies we advance and evidence that those solutions will work.
TRUE: Our solutions create opportunities for low-income people to make the kind of real economic gains that will allow them to truly support their families. Falling short of that is not enough.
Down to Earth
Through a series of intensive Steering Committee Meetings we brainstormed 120+potential ideas for ways to create a sustainable economy with the potential to create accessible jobs -- or career ladders to jobs -- that are safe and have family sustaining wages, while mitigating the effects of climate change. We narrowed our focus to four big arenas of interest where we believe jobs will emerge that meet our criteria: food, water, green small business and energy efficiency. What follows is our current working sense of job creation possibilities in these four arenas.
FOOD/Greening Food Systems: Laborers, Pipelayers/irrigation, Truck and tractor drivers, Community based educators,Restaurant liaison, CSA organizer, Nutrition educators, Brownfield remediators,Farmers, Marketers, Pest management technicians, Extension agents, Farm cooks,Green roofs for food production (designers, installers , repair people, andharvesters/ tenders), Vertical barn jobs, Fish farmers (including tenders,packers, shippers, facility operators, managers and waste managers),Distribution managers, Food security consultants, University and otherinstitution liaisons, Package designers and packers.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE JOBS: Ditch diggers,Engineers, Project coordinators/managers, Safety officers, Union stewards, Crewchief, Laborers, Welders, Public health officials, Inspectors, Landscaping,green roofers, Water engineers, Conservation safety officers, Regulatoryoversight, Extension worker (conservation education), Water auditor, Plant operator
GREEN MICRO-ENTERPRISE: Program coordinators, Language/ethnic advisors (MIRA), Trainers, Enterprise coordinators/Coalitionleaders, Green micro-enterprise chamber, Clearinghouse or Network managers,Sourcing advisors/Purchasing officer, Promotion/marketing people, Folks thatassess markets and Sole proprietors in these areas: repair andrecycle (tailor, cobbler, furniture, electronics, bikes, cars,) upcycled/recycled product manufacture, food production, micro farming,composting, green handy people, landscape/hardscape, personal care,eco-friendly cleaners, fish farmers, green roofers, distribution
ENERGY EFFICIENCY/CLEAN ENERGY ON PUBLICBUILDINGS: Weatherizationtechnician workers, Crew chiefs, Energy auditors, Lighting auditors, HVACinstallers/technicians, Trainers, Engineers, Hers raters, Sales people,Carpenters, Plumbers, electricians, weatherization insulators/ caulkers/ etc.,instructors for weatherization courses, community outreach workers, crewsupervisors, DIY instructors, Community organizers.
Look for more information as D2E unfolds! To learn more you can contact:
DeborahMutschler: deborah@massworkforcealliance.org
History:The Massachusetts Workforce Alliance (MWA) was originally formed in mid-2000 and became a coalition of ten practitioner coalitions representing over 400 Massachusetts community based, non-profit and other workforce development organizations. In 2007, MWA merged with one of its founding members, the Boston Workforce Development Coalition (BWDC), and began accepting organizational and individual members in addition to the traditional coalition members. MWA is committed to working collaboratively with all organizations which initiate, support, administer, and implement policies and programs that expand resources to support effective education, training, and employment services for low income Massachusetts residents.
Statement of Purpose: MWA orginally came together as a response to the shift in government policy and public dialogue away from serving the poor, at the same time that there were dramatic changes in the economy and labor market. As a result, significant numbers of Massachusetts residents do not have a realistic opportunity of obtaining decent jobs with family sustaining wages. In addition, community based, non-profit organizations (CBOs) are particularly threatened in this environment, along with the communities they serve. MWA works to change this by clarifying what is happening in workforce development, demonstrating how current policies adversely affect many communities and employers, and working with low income communities towards long term solutions.
MWA focuses attention and resources on the long term interests and current needs of low income communities by working at a statewide policy and advocacy level to:
Our membership is made up of individuals, organizations and coalitions from across the state. Our coalition members include:
The Boston Youth Service Network (BYSN) is comprised of 23 Boston-based member organizations providing full-time educational services to youth ages 14 to 21 in an alternative classroom setting. The purpose of BYSPN is to support and promote educational services to out of school youth and at risk youth, and to strengthen the agencies, programs, and schools that supply full-time educational services to youth in pursuit of a high school diploma or a GED. Contact: Heidi Hall, Program Director, 617-423-3755 heidi@bysn.org.
The Job Training Alliance of Massachusetts (JTA), founded in 1986, is an association of Boston CBOs and community college workforce development programs offering vocational training and job placement programs that prepare adults for successful entry or re-entry into the workforce. Alliance members are committed to working with those who have had the most difficulty and least success in entering the job market. The Alliance provides a monthly forum for discussing program and policy changes in the public workforce development system. Contact: Marianne Mastrangelo, 617-274-5360, mastranm@usa.redcross.org.
The Massachusetts Alliance for Adult Literacy (MassAAL) is an organization of over 300 current and former adult basic education students advancing the cause of adult literacy in the state. Established in 2001, MassAAL encourages adult learners to play a major role in informing public policymakers about the power and importance of adult literacy to our society, fosters student leadership, and assists adult learners in becoming active and effective citizens, and making a positive impact on their communities. Contact: Ernest Best, 617-287-4077, ebest@WorldEd.org
The Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) was founded to enhance the ability of each of its 25 member agencies to better serve its clients across the state as they strive to reduce poverty and its effects. MASSCAP's Education, Training, Employment, and Economic Development Committee works to increase members' knowledge and capacity in workforce development. Contact: Joe Diamond, 617-357-6086, joediamond@masscap.org.
The Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) is the policy and capacity-building arm of the community development movement in Massachusetts. We support and advance the affordable housing, economic development, and community-building strategies of our 60+ members. We work to build the power of low and moderate income people to achieve greater economic, social, and racial justice. Contact: Allison Staton, 617-426-0303, allisons@macdc.org.
The Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education (MCAE) boasts more than 1,000 individual members across the state including educators, adult students, volunteers and others interested in promoting equal educational opportunities for adults. MCAE's primary purpose is to: (1) provide professional development opportunities for those who work in adult education; and (2) disseminate information regarding current and emerging adult basic education policies to its membership, policymakers, public officials, and the general public. MCAE's policy leadership is evidenced by a seven-fold increase in adult basic education funding, and a statewide network of well-informed and active advocates. Contact: Kenny, Tamarkin Executive Director, ktamarkin@mace.net.
The Massachusetts Family Economic Self Sufficiency Project (The Women’s Union’s Mass FESS) works to increase the economic security of low-income women and their families throughout the Commonwealth and to help all families thrive. This collaborative effort of over 100 organizations and individuals across the state uses the Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Standard to provide a framework for developing, implementing, and evaluating human investment, workforce development, and welfare-to-work strategies. Contact: Marisela Gomez at 617-536-5651, mgomez@liveworkthrive.org.
The Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable, is a statewide network of 40 labor-management and union-based education and training programs. Our mission is to promote and provide high quality education programs for Massachusetts union members. To this end, we are engaged in workplace learning policy, and we provide technical assistance to unions and their employer partners who seek to establish learning programs at the workplace. Although our focus is on basic skills for employed workers, some programs include career ladders, technical and/or leadership skills and some serve pre-employed or dislocated workers. Contact: Connie Nelson, 617-983-3667, connie_nelson@hotmail.com.
The Massachusetts YouthBuild Coalition is comprised of the 12 YouthBuild programs (and sponsoring non-profit agencies) in Massachusetts that are part of over 200 programs in 43 states. YouthBuild programs rebuild young peoples' lives while rebuilding communities. YouthBuild participants have built or renovated hundres of units of low-income housing, providing families with a quality home. YouthBuild programs are located in Attleboro, Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Fitchburg, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Quincy, Fall River, New Bedford, Springfield, and Worcester. Contact: Rick Noll, 781-936-8263, mybc@comast.net.
MWA has organizational and individual members. The following organizations have joined us:
ABCD's LearningWorks
Amory Street Associates
Asian American Civic Association
Boston Housing Authority
Boston Private Industry Council
Boston Youth Environmental Network
Central Mass Regional Employment Board
Crittenton Women's Union
Dorchester Bay EDC
Easter Seals Massachusetts
International Institute of Boston
Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation
JCS
Jewish Vocational Services
Jobs for the Future
My Turn
Neighbor to Neighbor
North Shore Community Action Programs
Notre Dame Educational Center of Lawrence
Project Hope
Quincy Community Action Program
Roxbury Community College
Veterans Benefits Clearinghouse
Voices for Workplace Change
Work Results
YMCA Training, Inc.
Youthbuild Boston
Green Jobs Education Session: The Green Economy and Community Based Workforce Development Organizations
Know and Go: The Mass Workforce Alliance has developed a half-day advocacy training called Know and Go. Built on our PEER Project, Know and Go training helps frontline workforce development professionals to understand the current system and how their particular expertise is vital to the creation of good pubic policy. If you are interested in scheduling a Know and Go session, please contact Alex Risley Schroeder at: alex@massworkforcealliance.org.
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PEER: MWA's PEER Project is a 12 hour training in three sessions. PEER builds the active engagement of community-based workforce development practitioners and program participants/graduates in policy issues - in order to build a stronger, more effective workforce development system. The project, launched in 2004, focuses on policy issues by:
Policy - We focus on policies which shape and govern Massachusetts' public workforce development system. By policy, we mean the laws and government regulations which determine how workforce development services are designed and delivered, service eligibility, and funds available.
Education - We need more and clearer information on the workforce development system and public policies. The Massachusetts Workforce Alliance (MWA) is not trying to dictate how people think, but rather to provide information and help people to understand and apply their own experiences and perspectives to the realities of the workforce development system.
Engagement - Through PEER we form relationships with education and training practitioners across the state to engage in a dialogue about local challenges, the challenges which the system as a whole faces, and what we can all do about it.
Response - The central focus of PEER is identifying and discussing policy issues that participants see as impeding effective delivery of education, training, and employment services, and then developing recommendations on each issue.
MWA's PEER Project builds the active engagement of community-based workforce develop≠ment practitioners and program participants/graduates in policy issues - in order to build a stronger, more effective workforce development system. The project, launched in 2004, focuses on policy issues by:
(1) educating and learning from practitioners;
(2) building a policy advocacy network with the field; and
(3) developing policy recommendations which reflect the needs of the field.
As a result of the PEER Project, hundreds of practitioners will work with MWA to shape a coherent, broad based public policy agenda. MWA has trained Community Educators across the state -- workforce development practitioners trained to work with other practitioners to deepen understanding of the workforce development system, public policies, and advocacy options to deliver PEER in your area.
We have also developed a website which collects, organizes, and presents policy issues and recommendations identified by practitioners and others. To see the policy-fix ideas that others have contributed, or to add your own, click here.
To join the PEER Project, and welcome your questions and thoughts. To contact MWA call 413-586-1683 or email alex@massworkforcealliance.org. (March, 2005)
The core of the PEER Project is an original and innovative three-session training in which Community Educators support small groups of workforce development practitioners to move from initial identification of their key policy concerns, to articulation of policy issues and solutions, to engagement in policy advocacy. Emphasis in the 6 to 8 hours of initial training is on (1) linking practitioners' "on-the-ground expertise" with the design, implementation, and improvement of Massachusetts' public workforce development policies; (2) increasing practitioners' confidence in their abilities in policy and advocacy arenas; and (3) crafting and implementing advocacy plans.
The first PEER Project Training Session provides practitioners with an overview of the Massachusetts workforce development system, including how workforce development policy is formed and the structure of the system. Community Educators assist practitioners to identify their key workforce development policy concerns. The first Session's format and structure support practitioners to articulate their policy concerns and solutions, and to understand who sets and administers these policies.
The second PEER Project Training Session builds practitioners' understanding of their key policy concerns, especially how to consider options for policy change. The Session explores the elements of strategic and successful advocacy, and begins the development of a targeted, strategic advocacy plan for policy change.
The third PEER Project Training Session supports practitioners to advocate for the policy change(s) that they've identified, articulated, and strategized about. This Session results in a workplan for implementing advocacy. The Session also focuses on increasing participants' skill and comfort with advocating through viewing and discussing a video developed by MWA and through role play exercises, and ends with agreement between participants and Community Educators about additional support from MWA for their advocacy work.
For more information about the PEER Project, please contact Alex Risley Schroeder at 413-586-1683 or alex@massworkforcealliance.org.