Mayor Michelle Wu and the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD) today announced the allocation of $3.9 million of Neighborhood Jobs Trust (NJT) funding to 24 community-based organizations in Boston. NJT funding supports local organizations that provide low-to-moderate-income adults with job training and support services ensuring the full participation of all Boston residents in the city’s economic vitality and future. The grants, ranging from $50,000 to $1.37 million, will serve approximately 2,000 residents while allowing the grantees to leverage $22 million in additional funding. The Neighborhood Jobs Trust is a public charitable trust created to ensure that residents directly benefit from large-scale real estate development in Boston through quality jobs, job training, and related services.
“The Neighborhood Jobs Trust is critical in connecting our residents to crucial job training and support services and ensuring Boston continues to be a home for everyone,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m thrilled to support these 24 excellent community organizations and look forward to their efforts that empower our residents across neighborhoods and strengthen our economy.”
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, with $3.4 million disbursed in fiscal year 2023.
“I’m proud that the work we do through the Article 80 development review process continues to support the Neighborhood Jobs Trust,” said Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison. “With a scheduled increase in Linkage fees occurring at the beginning of this year, I am thankful to our partners in the development community for working with us through any hurdles to ensure continued support for these programs.”
The Neighborhood Jobs Trust award recipients were selected through a public Request for Grant Applications (RFGA) process administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The selected organizations will prepare Boston residents for in-demand careers in various high-growth industries and growing markets including clean energy and technology, human services, hospitality, and healthcare. NJT prioritizes supporting underserved populations including English Language Learners, immigrants, residents of color, individuals experiencing housing instability or homelessness, residents who are court-involved, and individuals with disabilities. To that end, the programs provided by the awardees are designed to serve individuals facing barriers to employment and incorporate supportive wrap-around services.
“Many residents still face barriers to employment and free education and job training programs can change the trajectory of their lives,” said Chief of Worker Empowerment Trinh Nguyen. “I am incredibly proud of these organizations and engaged employers that support our workforce by providing these opportunities through innovative programming that prioritizes underserved and underrepresented communities. By investing in these programs, the City of Boston is connecting residents to critical career pathways in growing industries and expanding the city’s talent pool for employers.”
“I am impressed and inspired by the crucial work being done every day by this year’s NJT grantees to ensure that every Boston resident can benefit from the opportunities the city offers,” said Liz Hughes, Senior Program Manager of the Neighborhood Jobs Trust. “I look forward to partnering with each grantee to help them succeed in their mission, and I’m proud to live and work in a city that prioritizes investment in its people.”
Among this year’s grantees are four organizations receiving first-time NJT funding through the New and Emerging Programs category included in this round of grant-making:
- The Loop Lab: which will train young adults from underserved communities without college degrees for careers in the creative economy
- Empowered And Dedicated to Edify the Nation (EDEN): which will train single mothers for a healthcare career
- Friends of the Rafael Hernandez School: which will train low-income Spanish-speaking adults to become dual language educators
- Jamaica Plain Community Center Adult Learning Program: Program will train English Language Learners for a Certified Nursing Assistant Certification while improving their English language proficiency.
NJT created the New and Emerging Programs category to create pathways for smaller grassroots programs that might not otherwise have access to City of Boston funding. This category targeted smaller community-based organizations with operating budgets under $1.5 million that had not previously received NJT funding with priority for programs located in or serving communities underrepresented in NJT’s portfolio and organizations led by people of color with leadership that reflects the communities they serve. In addition to funding, the four recipients will also receive technical assistance to aid them in developing new workforce development programs or building the capacity of their existing training programs. Through this additional procurement category, NJT provided these community-based organizations with the critical support necessary to advance their mission and enable them to be more competitive in their applications for future funding opportunities.
“Friends of the Hernández is proud to partner with the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development for our Primeras Maestras (‘First Teachers’) program,” said Nereida Tejeda, Executive Director of the Friends of the Rafael Hernández School. “The program trains participants to become dual language educators and has a huge impact on participants, their children, and the children in the classrooms in which they train. We look forward to expanding our work, helping members of our community leverage their Spanish language and child-rearing skills as assets for professional success.”
“We at The Loop Lab are thrilled to collaborate with NJT and the Office of Workforce Development to offer our esteemed Media Arts Apprenticeship Program to a new group of apprentices at our downtown Boston Academy,” said Christopher Hope, Founder and Executive Director of the Loop Lab. “With NJT’s support, our flagship media arts program will deliver technical media arts education, job training, and paid fellowships to a new cohort of underestimated young individuals from underserved communities. This initiative will empower them to pursue successful careers as audio/video professionals and digital storytellers, giving them access to high-growth opportunities in this dynamic field of the creative economy.”
To view the full list of Fiscal Year 2024 NJT grant recipients, visit boston.gov/neighborhood-jobs-trust.