Representative Joseph McGonagle, along with Mayor Carlo DeMaria are pleased to announce that Representative McGonagle has secured $1.7 million in state funding for Dual Enrollment Grant Subsidies and Community College Workforce Grants.
“These earmarks will open up opportunities for Everett residents to prepare for the wide array of jobs available in our growing economy,” said Rep. Joe McGonagle. “Our students who participate in the Dual Enrollment Program have higher rates of high school graduation, college enrollment and degree completion. Community College Workforce Grants will help Everett residents learn specific skills to pursue fulfilling careers. I want to thank the Mayor, his administration and Chairman Antonio Cabral for their advice and guidance with creating these earmarks to bring resources and opportunities to our residents.”
The funding is designated for community colleges to provide training opportunities for high demand jobs, expand vocationally oriented course offerings and develop partnerships with Massachusetts’s employers.
Over the past year, Mayor DeMaria and Representative McGonagle have prioritized developing low or no cost community training opportunities targeting Everett residents and connecting them with local employers who need specific skills.
Mayor DeMaria stated, “I want to thank Representative McGonagle for working with my administration to acquire these grants within our community. Both the Representative and I understand the importance of developing programs to enhance the skills high school students need to be successful within our community.”
Workforce development centers in community colleges across the state offer a single point of contact for longer-term partnerships with employers interested in building a sustainable talent pipeline for the future.
“Our community colleges in the Commonwealth have a comprehensive mission and have been a long-standing resource for local businesses by designing and offering customized training programs to meet industry workforce needs. At the same time, they continually partner with our K-12 partners to provide early college and dual-enrollment programs, college preparatory initiatives such as STEM Starter Academies, and credit-bearing articulation agreements,” said Massachusetts Community College Executive Officer Bill Hart. “The funding that Representative McGonagle helped secure will provide high school students with access to college courses to help them get a leg-up on obtaining their college degree.”
Monies will also go to a Dual Enrollment grant program that will allow for Everett students to simultaneously enroll in college courses and earn course credit while earning their high school diploma. The state grants act as subsidies so that students can earn college credit at a much lower cost.
This program will serve as a designation for careers that are in demand and a focus within the United States. These funds aim to improve job- training that will prepare both high school and college students for in-demand careers in information technology, health care, manufacturing, and much more. Everett High students have started to work at Now Business Intelligence (NBI) in Everett Square to be the next generation of employees working in the information strategies and software solutions field.