Bunker Hill Community College Proudly Named Founding Member of MassSkills Coalition

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Governor Maura Healey has introduced the MassSkills Coalition, a collaborative effort among employers across industries to enhance talent recruitment and retention strategies. Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) has been named a founding member.

Launched at the Massachusetts Business Roundtable's Board Meeting on March 19, 2024, the MassSkills Coalition is a testament to the power of collaboration. It builds upon Governor Healey's earlier executive order promoting skills-based hiring in the state, with the aim of fostering a diverse and robust workforce while reducing barriers for job applicants. Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones expressed optimism about the coalition's potential to bolster the state's economy and showcase the collective efforts between businesses, academia, and government.

BHCC has supported skills-based hiring through its Rapid Recovery and Reemployment (R3) Program and has trained more than 500 students since its inception in 2021– alongside more than 6,000 students who have completed other short-term Workforce and Economic Development programs to earn a credential or learn a skill. "These short-term trainings allow students to study over a shorter period, develop skills in a field, learn professional skills, and earn an industry-recognized credential, which makes them employable quicker," says Dean of Workforce and Economic Development Kristen McKenna.

Co-chaired by prominent figures from various sectors, the coalition is not just about skills-based hiring. It's about promoting workplace diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility (DEIA). It will offer a platform for sharing best practices, resources, and data to support skills-based hiring and foster an environment where everyone can thrive regardless of background.

Key initiatives include rethinking talent sourcing, job descriptions, assessment tools, and degree requirements, developing transparent career advancement pathways, and rewarding employees for earning credentials. The coalition will also establish working groups led by relevant stakeholders and government bodies to address specific challenges.

Read the press release on mass.gov.
Learn more about MassSkills Coalition.