Press Release

Bunker Hill Community College Awarded $735,000 Workforce Training Grant

Funding for job-training programs is part of Baker-Polito Administration’s $15 million grant to Massachusetts Community Colleges

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) received a $735,000 workforce training grant, part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s $15 million award in workforce training grants to the Commonwealth’s 15 community colleges in support of the creation and expansion of training programs in high-demand industries, such healthcare, education, manufacturing, information technology and cybersecurity.

In addition to receiving money from the grant, BHCC and the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges will jointly administer the grant program with the Executive Office of Education and in consultation with the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the regional Workforce Investment Boards.

"Community Colleges are not only engines of education, we are engines of economic development as well,” said BHCC President Pam Eddinger. “This grant means a pathway to better jobs for workers, and to a stronger workforce for the Commonwealth and our industry partners.”

Approximately 1,500 individuals will receive specialized training at no cost.  About one third of the grant funding will be allocated toward building capacity in training programs for the healthcare industry, which is in high demand across the Commonwealth. The funding was included in An Act Relative to Immediate COVID-19 Recovery Needs, which was signed by Governor Baker in December 2021.

“These grants complement our administration’s ongoing work to address the skills gap by building additional training capacity at all the Commonwealth’s community colleges so people have opportunities to gain hands-on skills and knowledge in growing industries,” said Governor Charlie Baker.  “It is crucial that we provide more residents with quality training options and eliminate the gaps between what skills the Massachusetts workforce has, and what skills employers need.” 

“Workforce development is one of the fastest growing program areas at Bunker Hill Community College,” said Kristen McKenna, Dean of Workforce and Economic Development at BHCC. “The demand for short term credentials, training, and educational opportunities in Greater Boston is tremendous, and it is more critical than ever for institutions like Bunker Hill to connect with workers who are looking to upskill and move into new jobs in growing industries, especially in healthcare and information technology. This grant will support workforce development programs that can ensure a full and equitable economic recovery for those workers and for our industry partners in our region.”

BHCC’s Workforce and Economic Development Division offers skills training in both credit and non-credit educational courses in a variety of fields, including information technology, healthcare, pharmacy, marine technology, culinary arts, small business growth and management, and the cannabis industry. Workforce Development partners with businesses, industry, community organizations, non-profits and government to deliver innovative and responsive non-traditional educational programming that fosters a path to post-secondary education or into the workforce. 

For more information visit bhcc.edu/workforce.  

Media Contact:
Brendan P. Hughes, Director of Public Relations
Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA 02129
Phone: 646-245-0112; Email: brendan.hughes@bhcc.edu


About Bunker Hill Community College
Bunker Hill Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts, enrolling approximately 18,000 students annually. BHCC has two campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, and a number of other locations throughout the Greater Boston area. BHCC is one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. Sixty-five percent of the students are people of color and more than half of BHCC's students are women. The College also enrolls nearly 600 international students who come from 94 countries and speak more than 75 languages.