Massachusetts Business Engagement Initiative Receives National Innovation Award

WASHINGTON – Recently at the National Association of State Workforce Agencies’ (NASWA) 2019 Winter Policy Forum in Washington, D.C., MassHire Department of Career Services received the prestigious Pinnacle for Business Development Award, presented by the NASWA Employment and Training Committee. This award is bestowed upon a state demonstrating excellence and innovation in the area of employer engagement.

In 2012, MassHire began developing an integrated, employer engagement system geared at enhancing and aligning the resources and services available to Massachusetts employers through the state’s public workforce development, economic development, and education entities to help Massachusetts employers grow and thrive. This initiative, now known as MassHire BizWorks, aligns the state’s Rapid Response efforts among its seven partner agencies (MassHire, Unemployment Assistance, Rehabilitation Commission, Commission for the Blind, Transitional Assistance, Elementary and Secondary Education, and Senior Community Service Employment Program). This gives employers the ability to utilize these services and training at a state-wide level instead of struggling to navigate through a myriad of state agencies. This integrated initiative has made a national impact, with 13 other states utilizing its resources, and is the most sought-after training under the US Department of Labor’s Technical Assistance and Training Grant.

“As employers struggle to find talented employees in the current tight labor market, it is essential they are able to utilize the tools they need as efficiently and effectively as possible for their organization to grow and to thrive,” said Scott B. Sanders, Executive Director of NASWA. “MassHire’s BizWorks is a great example of innovation and breaking down barriers so employers can access tools needed for expansion and building economic growth.”

For more information about NASWA’s Winter Policy Forum, visit https://www.naswa.org/conferences/winter-policy-forum-2019 and for more information on NASWA’s Employment and Training Committee, visit www.naswa.org.

(Pictured L to R are Rosalind Acosta and Alice Sweeney, Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development; and Jon S. Pierpont, NASWA Board President and Executive Director of the Utah Department of Workforce Services)