Boston's latest move to rev up its workforce development just powered on with a new initiative dubbed the "Learning Lab." The Worker Empowerment Cabinet, with Roxbury Community College (RCC) riding shotgun, launched this project aimed at boosting jobs and ensuring opportunities aren't just a roll of the dice for the city's working stiffs. The operation is set to churn out policies spun from real-deal data and collaborative know-how, as announced during a shindig at City Hall Plaza Pavillion on May 18.
"The Learning Lab represents a fresh opportunity, providing a platform for insightful input to enrich its impact on the workforce development system," Rashad Cope, Deputy Chief of Worker Empowerment, said according to a Boston government news release. It’s all about tailor-making city initiatives and services for the community, with the Learning Lab's sights set on issues like kicking down barriers for Joe Lunchpail and making sure the workplace plays fair with inclusivity.
They're not leaving it to guesswork at the Cabinet’s Office of Workforce Development, which is running the show. The lab's to-do list spans from sharing smart information to capturing insights that'll make the workforce development scene smarter. Sarah Saroui, the top dog for research in the office, was quoted in the city news release, bigging up the city’s brainy approach: "The complexity of social problems demands comprehensive problem-solving and decision-making processes."
Playable plans out of the Lab's starting gate included a pow-wow with over 70 heavy-hitters from Boston's workforce game. At the event, there was some bench talk with the Good Jobs Metro Boston Coalition, which is busy hooking up locals with hot gigs in healthcare and other booming sectors, thanks to a juicy $23 million cash injection from Uncle Sam. Assistant Director of Workforce Development, Ashley Hazleton McClafferty, led the buzz session where go-getters like Elizabeth Noel and Sarah Bukhari spilled the beans on how the Coalition's programs had them climbing the career ladder.
Noel, now a medical assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital, dished to city government news about how she nabbed her dream job through the program. "I always dreamed of becoming a Medical Assistant, so when I found out about this training program being offered by GJMBC in partnership with Mass General Brigham and UMASS Boston, I signed up," she recounted. She hit the books big-time with the Coalition's support and snagged a spot at Mass General, with the props continuing even after her two-month anniversary on the job.
