$1.7 Million In Neighborhood Jobs Trust Funding Awarded to Community Organizations Expanding Job…

Funding will prepare eligible residents to enter new careers in healthcare, clean energy, and childcare

Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Workforce Development (OWD) today announced the allocation of $1.7 million of Neighborhood Jobs Trust (NJT) funding to 14 community-based organizations in Boston. NJT funding supports local organizations that provide residents with job training and support services that address the needs of Boston's workforce, enabling them to enter career pathways and obtain higher-paying jobs. The grants will serve approximately 600 residents while allowing the organizations to leverage approximately $10 million in additional funding.

"The Neighborhood Jobs Trust is critical in our work to make Boston a home for everyone. This funding will better connect our residents to crucial job training, support services and opportunities" said Mayor Michelle Wu. "I'm thrilled to support these 14 excellent community organizations and look forward to their efforts that empower our residents across neighborhoods to enter new career pathways, build wealth and strengthen our economy."

"The Neighborhood Jobs Trust has been a long-standing source of vital funding for organizations dedicated to equipping Boston residents with the skills they need to access career opportunities and improve their lives," said Chief of Worker Empowerment Trinh Nguyen. "With this round of NJT funding, the City of Boston is investing in high-quality training for those facing multiple barriers to employment, leading to good jobs in three crucial sectors of our economy. This investment will benefit both residents participating in the programs and employers seeking skilled talent. The City of Boston also benefits when its residents thrive, and we're thankful for the contributions these organizations will make toward that goal."

Since its creation in 1987, the Neighborhood Jobs Trust ensures that residents directly benefit from real estate development in Boston through quality jobs, job training, and related services. Funding in the trust is replenished by Jobs Linkage fees paid by developers of large-scale commercial projects in the city. NJT has received over $55 million in Linkage funds to support Boston's education and workforce development efforts. Led by the Worker Empowerment Cabinet, the Office of Workforce Development manages this funding.

NJT proudly funds special projects with long-range impact that ultimately put low-to-moderate income residents on career pathways that lead to economic security. This year, the trust awarded Boston Public Schools (BPS) $35,750 to launch a driver's education program. Through the pilot program, BPS will support twenty-five students or recent graduates, particularly those in vocational programs and alternative education settings, who are job-ready but face transportation barriers due to not having a driver's license. The funds will help cover RMV fees, driving school costs, permit preparation, and road test support. Students who obtain a driver's license are positioned to access jobs in construction, healthcare, automotive, and other in-demand sectors that often require travel beyond public transit routes. This initiative is part of a broader workforce readiness strategy by BPS aimed at increasing access, independence, and long-term employment outcomes for young people.

"The Neighborhood Jobs Trust (NJT) is crucial to ensuring that our students have the tools and resources they need to access high-quality jobs after the completion of their secondary or post-secondary education," said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper. "I am grateful to the BPS Student Support team who is working to design and implement the Driver Education pilot program, which will increase independence and long-term employment outcomes for our students."

For Fiscal Year 2026, NJT recipients were selected through a public Request for Grant Applications (RFGA) process administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The organizations will provide programming that prepares eligible residents for in-demand careers in three key sectors: Healthcare, Clean Energy, and Childcare. The sectoral focus of this RFGA builds on the work of the Good Jobs Metro Boston Coalition, a City initiative that supports the training and placement of over 4,000 Boston-area residents in these target industries. Leveraging NJT funding deepens support for training providers and pathways in these key sectors while meeting the needs of Boston's employers to fill roles in critically important fields. The NJT-funded programs target their services to the needs of underserved populations facing barriers to employment, including English language learners, immigrants, residents of color, individuals experiencing housing instability or homelessness, court-involved residents, and individuals with disabilities. In addition, the programs are designed to incorporate supportive wrap-around services.

The following organizations were awarded grants through this round of funding:

• Mujeres Unidas Avanzando: The Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) Training for English Language Learners (ELLs) program will provide low-income non-native English speakers with comprehensive training and holistic wraparound services to prepare them for rewarding healthcare careers.
• Friends of the Rafael Hernandez School: The Primeras Maestras program trains low-income Spanish-speaking adults to become dual-language educators. Relying on the native language and child-rearing skills of participants, the program provides hands-on training in pre-K through 4th-grade classrooms, professional development workshops, and job-seeking support in an industry with high demand and future growth opportunities.
• African Bridge Network: This program will develop career pathways in healthcare for skilled immigrants as laboratory technicians, clinical research coordinators, and research administration coordinators.
• Per Scholas: Per Scholas Greater Boston will provide lower-income Boston residents looking to launch their IT careers in the Healthcare sector with comprehensive professional development, job search, career development, job attainment services, and healthcare employer connections.
• St. Stephen's Youth Programs: The Ladders of Opportunity program prepares low-income, multilingual Boston Public Schools parents and caregivers for careers as early childhood educators and paraprofessionals.
• Operation ABLE: The ABLE Medical Office Skills Training program offers 12 weeks of instruction and practice in computers, customer service, communication, and administrative skills with a focus on preparing individuals for administrative positions in medical office settings. The 12 weeks of classroom instruction are followed by a six-week internship with a partner healthcare employer.
• English for New Bostonians (ENB): The Economic Mobility Pathways program creates economic pathways for immigrants across educational/work backgrounds and aspirations. Pathways provides customized ESOL, Career Workshops, and individualized coaching, building confidence and career planning and advancement for limited English speakers.
• Tech Goes Home: Tech Goes Home will enhance workforce development opportunities for prospective healthcare and childcare professionals by integrating digital skills training into existing job training programs. Each participant completes 15 hours of community-based, culturally responsive digital skills training, earning a new computer and, if needed, a year-long internet connection.
• YMCA Greater Boston: The Early Childhood Career Pathways program will prepare Boston residents for impactful careers as early childhood educators. The program integrates classroom instruction, hands-on field experience, career services, and career advising to support participants with their goal of securing employment as an early childhood educator
• JRI/Strive: STRIVE Boston, in partnership with Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), aims to place 20 individuals in various employment roles at BWH, including Central Transport, Materials Management, and Medical Assistants. This program will expand career pathways for participants, providing them with training and coursework opportunities that lead to higher-paying jobs and greater responsibilities within the BWH system.
• Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD): The First Steps into Early Childhood Education Careers (First Steps) program prepares low-income Boston residents for high-demand jobs in early childhood education, with starting salaries averaging at or above $18.20 an hour.
• Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center: The ESOL for Healthcare Careers job training program equips low-income, immigrant, English language learners (ELL) with the language, workplace, and industry-specific skills needed to secure and succeed in entry-level healthcare roles. The program integrates ESOL instruction with career counseling, case management, and occupational training, ensuring accessibility for beginner-level ELLs who may face barriers to traditional workforce programs.
• Jewish Vocational Service (JVS): JVS offers three Career Pathway Training programs: Caring for Our Seniors Nurse's Aide Training, Pharmacy Technician Training, and Central Sterile Processing Technician Training. The training model allows job seekers with multiple complex barriers to employment to train for and secure high-quality healthcare jobs.
• Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (Franklin Cummings Tech): Franklin Cummings Tech will provide trade and technical education in HVAC&R and Practical Electricity to support underserved community members who face barriers to employment. These industries are in high demand, offer realistic timelines for employment, and provide family-sustaining wages in the clean energy sector.

"Neighborhood Jobs Trust has been a steadfast partner in our mission since 2019, enabling Mujeres Unidas Avanzando to deliver Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) classes that build pathways to high-demand careers," said Johannah Malone, Executive Director of Mujeres Unidas Avanzando. "In Boston and across Massachusetts, healthcare staffing shortfalls, especially in clinical support roles like CMAs, are creating real economic strain. By equipping our students with professional training and industry-ready experience, NJT is not just helping individuals change their lives; it is also strengthening our local healthcare system and supporting sustainable economic growth. We are deeply grateful for their continued investment in our community and our future workforce."

For more information on the FY26 recipients, please visit this link.

• Published by: Mayor's Office