The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and a non-partisan think tank are pushing for approval of a bill that would expand the role of Massachusetts community colleges in training employees on behalf of local companies. Representatives from the Chamber and MassINC. testified May 20 during a Joint Committee on Commerce & Labor hearing that the bill would create a much-needed financial incentive for the state’s 15 community colleges. With the state’s unemployment rate at an all-time low, many businesses are having trouble finding qualified employees to fill vacancies, said Ed Pignone, the Chamber’s chief of staff.
“We’re hearing constantly from members of the Chamber that other parts of the country do extraordinarily good jobs in utilizing community colleges to make sure that people have the right skill sets to get employed,” Pignone said.
“In a dynamic global economy those skills can change very rapidly,” he said.
Pignone named the Internet a possible area of training. However, he said the bill would “cut across the board” to a variety of industries.
Under the terms of the proposed bill, filed jointly by the Chamber and MassINC., the state would match dollars generated by contracts with local companies at a rate of 20 percent. Individual colleges would be awarded the money based on their performance. To qualify, the colleges would have to demonstrate an annual increase in the number of businesses with which they contract.
Mary Ellen Yates, the Chamber’s policy analyst, said the bill is enjoying growing support among legislators concerned about the shortage of skilled workers.
“Companies are having a hard time not only attracting new employees but also retaining the employees that they do have,” Yates said.
Gloria Larson, co-chair of MassINC., testified at the hearing that “the benefits to workers who have community college-based training are enormous.”
“Workers that earn a two-year degree see their incomes jump a whopping 27 percent. If we are serious about keeping Massachusetts companies competitive and their employees in high-paying jobs, community colleges must be encouraged to expand their job-training mission,” Larson said.
“The state’s labor force has grown just 1 percent since 1990, so it is imperative that we make the most of every worker we have,” Larson said. “That means finding new ways for people to improve their job skills. This legislation is one of those ways.”
Yeats said she expected the Joint Committee on Commerce & Labor to vote on the proposed bill within the next several weeks before sending on its way toward approval or disapproval.
