Governor Deval Patrick today announced eight new Workforce Training Fund grants totaling $517,193 will be awarded to companies in Billerica, Burlington and Wilmington to help train 850 Massachusetts workers.
Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Suzanne M. Bump joined Governor Patrick to announce the grants, which are part of the Governor’s economic plan to make investments that will help create conditions for job growth focused on restrained spending and long-term and immediate investments, while preparing for the impacts of a softening economy.
«I am pleased to announce these Workforce Training Fund grants which will help train 850 workers in a range of areas,» said Governor Patrick. «Targeted investments like these are necessary to ensure we continue on a path to achieve immediate and long-term economic growth in the Commonwealth.»
The Workforce Training Fund (WTF), administered by the Department of Workforce Development, under the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, provides business and labor organizations with matching grants of up to $250,000 or more in certain cases to finance incumbent worker training.
«It is critical for Massachusetts employers to access the tools needed to stay competitive and the Workforce Training Fund is providing them with the resources to make this possible,» said Secretary Bump. «Investing in our workforce, our people, is essential so that we can close the gap between the skills our workers have and the skills they need to succeed in the future.»
The grant announcement follows a major speech by the Governor last week on the economy, at which he announced Secretary Bump would, within the next 90 days, expedite the release over $18 million in grants to 200 companies throughout Massachusetts in order to train over 16,000 workers in every region of the Commonwealth.
Grants announced today by Governor Patrick include:
Integra Radionics, Burlington $57,150 to train 34 workers in leadership management development, communications, human resources and technical skills.
NSIGHT Inc., Burlington $34,450 to train 36 workers in advanced project management.
ONLYAPPS Inc., (By Appointment Only) Burlington $44,505 to train 29 workers in a leadership development program.
Koch Membrane, Inc., Wilmington $201,860 to train 210 workers in lean manufacturing tools to addresses a number of challenges in the company’s three families of membrane products.
Proto Pac Engineering Company, Inc., Wilmington $36,050 to train 69 workers in project management; continuous improvement through process analysis and process management; ISO 9000 quality management system development and implementation and training in ISO 9000 auditing leading to individual certifications.
Quantum Leap Packaging, Inc., Wilmington $40,540 to train 22 workers in the explanation, development and implementation of the ISO environmental standard and internal auditor training as well as transferable skill training relating to ISO, state and federal EPA prevention and containment procedures.
United Tool and Die Company, Wilmington $14,688 to train 12 workers in lean manufacturing principles.
GSI Lumonics, Component Products Group, Billerica $87,950 to train 438 workers in lean manufacturing and six sigma practices.
The Workforce Training Fund has helped thousands of employers gain a competitive advantage by investing in job-related training for hundreds of thousands of their employees. Since the Fund’s inception in 1999, more than 4,100 grants have been awarded totaling over $150 million to train more than 208,000 Massachusetts workers.
For information on the Workforce Training Fund, visit www.mass.gov/wtf.
