Governor Maura Healey is putting serious money behind shop floors and skills labs, not just lecture halls. On Thursday, she announced more than $70 million in state grants to expand career-technical education across Massachusetts, funding that the administration says will create up to 2,500 new vocational seats at 28 high schools and career-technical centers.
The awards, unveiled at Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Marlborough, include seven-figure checks to build out programs in public safety, veterinary science, HVAC, welding and early-childhood education. State officials say the money will modernize lab spaces, buy industry-standard equipment and expand evening "After Dark" classes for adult learners, all framed as a way to strengthen local workforces and give students hands-on options alongside four-year college tracks.
State Announces $70M Grant Round
Healey’s office says this latest grant round will expand 23 existing career and technical education programs, launch 27 new ones and underwrite the equipment, technology and lab upgrades that classroom-based job training runs on. The administration has posted a full list of recipients and award amounts and notes that the funding covers both dedicated CTE schools and comprehensive high schools that offer career pathways.
According to Mass.gov, Assabet Valley is set to receive $3.75 million to build out public-safety and veterinary-science tracks.
Local Winners And Dollar Amounts
Local headlines quickly zeroed in on some of the bigger checks. New Bedford High School will receive $1.75 million for early-education and childcare training. Chicopee Comprehensive High School is in line for $3.5 million to grow its HVAC and plumbing offerings. Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical in Bourne is getting $2 million aimed at welding and metal fabrication.
The state says these allocations will fund new lab capacity and upgraded gear so programs can take in more students and award industry-recognized credentials, not just classroom credits. A related March batch of capital awards put $15 million toward adding roughly 400 to 600 CTE seats statewide. As reported by the Boston Herald, districts plan to use the grants to retrofit existing spaces and tighten partnerships with community colleges and employers.
What Programs Will Look Like
At Assabet Valley, the public-safety track is slated to include a mock dispatch center and a forensics lab, with formalized internships and work-based learning tied to municipal fire and EMS partners. The veterinary-science program is expected to add exam tables, grooming tools and Approved Veterinary Assistant certifications to its toolkit.
State officials say many schools will also hammer out articulation agreements with community colleges so students can bank college credit or professional credentials before they even graduate high school. The administration’s press materials list awards to dozens of districts, including Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical and Worcester Technical High, which will target funds toward equipment purchases and lab modernization.
Per Mass.gov, the grants will support traditional daytime programs for high schoolers along with evening and "After Dark" classes that serve adult learners.
Context And Next Steps
This latest round of awards builds on a broader push by the Healey-Driscoll administration to expand hands-on pipelines into the workforce. Last year, the state Launched $60M Grant Program, and officials say the administration has approved 49 new CTE programs and added roughly 2,334 seats over the past three years. Hoodline previously covered that earlier grant launch and the wider effort to grow vocational training across the Commonwealth.
With the latest money awarded, local districts now have to nail down project plans, order specialized equipment and recruit instructors who bring real industry experience. Expanded seats and new credentials are expected to roll out over the next 12 to 24 months as construction, purchasing and hiring timelines play out.
Reaction And Implementation
Vocational administrators and workforce advocates have welcomed the spending, arguing that upgraded machines and more lab benches make it easier to prepare students for hard-to-fill roles. BusinessWest has followed the administration’s Career Technical Initiative and noted that the state has leaned heavily into skills-focused training to help employers staff up in the trades and advanced manufacturing.
Local officials say they will rely on employer and community college partnerships to staff new programs and attach recognizable, real-world credentials to what happens in the classroom. According to the administration’s press team, districts should expect more detailed next steps and reporting requirements from the Executive Office of Education as projects move ahead.
For residents watching local job pipelines, this grant round will be one to track as districts translate allocations into actual seats, instructors and equipment. District leaders are expected to bring more detailed timelines and program breakdowns to local school committees in the months ahead, and parents curious about specific pathways and credentials are being encouraged to contact their district CTE coordinator for enrollment information. The state’s announcement includes the full list of communities and award amounts across Massachusetts.
