Regional Innovation Grant

The US Department of Labor recently awarded a $250,000 Regional Innovation Grant to the City of Lowell to align workforce and economic development resources and establish economic strategies for the Merrimack Valley River Region. The Greater Lowell and the Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Boards will serve as project operators for the grant. The Boards have begun the planning phase for implementation of the grant. Status updates on RIG activity will be available on a regular basis.

With this: Through a Regional Innovation Grant (RIG) awarded by the United States Department of Labor, the Greater Lowell Workforce Investment Board, in collaboration with our partners, the Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Board and the New Hampshire Office of Workforce Opportunity, is working on an initiative to support the sustainability of our regional manufacturing industry. As part of the assessment process to identify workforce development needs and create a strategic plan to address those needs moving forward, a series of events and activities have occurred including:

Most recently, representatives from Merrimack Valley manufacturing companies, state and local economic and workforce development organizations, education and training providers participated in the first meeting of the Merrimack Valley Manufacturing Advocates (MVMA) a newly formed collaborative focused on maintaining and expanding manufacturing in the region. The meeting was hosted by the Greater Lowell Workforce Investment Board, the Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Board and the New Hampshire Office of Workforce Opportunity. The session was attended by over 40 participants and featured two prominent guest speakers – Daniel J. Ryan, Vice President of the Operations and Integrated supply Chain Cross-Business Team (CBT) for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) and Gary M. O’Neil, Principal, 02-Generations of Creative Energy who discussed the challenges and opportunities facing manufacturers in the current economic environment. The agenda also included a review of the recently completed Merrimack Valley Survey of Manufacturers.

Next Up: Review and approval by the Regional Innovation Grant Core Leadership Committee of the Regional Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan will articulate strategies, goals and activities designed to address the key workforce development needs of employers ensuring the continued growth and vitality of the manufacturing sector in the Merrimack Valley. The release of the final plan is scheduled for end-June.

Strategic Planning

The GLWIB continues to be actively engaged in planning and implementing processes to address the challenges associated with the development of a skilled local workforce and to meet statewide standards intended to accelerate continual improvement of the Massachusetts workforce development system. The GLWIB 2009-2014 Strategic Plan is available for your reference. Status updates, including benchmarks and performance assessments will be published on a regular basis.

Green Jobs Training Initiative

The clean energy industry is poised for growth in Massachusetts and is on track to be one of the largest industries in the Commonwealth moving forward. To ensure Greater Lowell residents are ready to take full advantage of these new job opportunities, the GLWIB is working closely with various organizations and educational providers in support of clean energy training to facilitate the transition of skilled workers from other traditional industries.

Health Care Learning Network(HCLN)

The Health Care Learning Network is an interactive distance learning health care project designed to assist incumbent long-term care employees with educational programs. Employees are able to participate in the courses on-line and at their convenience. The goal of HCLN is to assist workers in meeting entrance requirements for college health care education programs. More information on how employers and employees can benefit from this program is available from the Health Care Learning Network.

Pathways to Advancement and Training in Healthcare(PATH)

The PATH program focuses on obtaining employment and advancement in the healthcare industry for entry-level and incumbent workers in the Greater Lowell area. Community Teamwork Inc. is the lead agency of the PATH Program and coordinates the participation of employers, and education and training providers. The GLWIB and Career Center of Lowell provide the PATH program with assessment and career coaching. More information on PATH is available through Community Teamwork.

Extended Care Career Ladder Initiative (ECCLI)

Training grants are available to long-term care facilities and home care agencies in the Greater Lowell area through Commonwealth Corporation. These grants are utilized for skills training and career advancement opportunities for incumbent direct care workforce. The Greater Lowell WIB provides technical assistance on program content, facilitation with other long-term care facilities to coordinate and collaborate on joint training, serves as a liaison with educational providers and provides guidance on the grant writing process. Additional information on ECCLI is available directly from the Commonwealth Corporation.

Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM)

The Greater Lowell WIB provides professional development opportunities to Northeast STEM Fellows and colleague teachers through facilitation of teacher externships with Greater Lowell businesses. Externship time frames are approximately 20-40 hours on-site at the business location with additional time focused on curriculum lesson plan development. Complete details on the Massachusetts Stem Initiative are available through the University of Massachusetts.