History
SkillWorks was founded in 2003 as a workforce funder collaborative and public/private partnership between the Boston Foundation and the City of Boston to improve workforce development in Boston and across the Commonwealth.
By bringing together philanthropy, government, community organizations and employers, Skillworks seeks to improve job access and quality for workers, while helping businesses attract workers with the necessary skills to succeed. As workforce needs and economic realities have evolved, SkillWorks has worked to change our focus to address the most pressing needs.
In Phase I (2003-2008), SkillWorks invested $15 million to help more than 3,000 workers receive skills training with hundreds entering the workforce or receiving raises and promotions.
In Phase II (2009-2013) continued SkillWorks' important work with an added emphasis on better connecting Massachusetts community colleges and other post-secondary institutions to the workforce development system. SkillWorks raised $10 million for Phase II for investments in Workforce Partnerships, Public Policy Advocacy and Capacity Building, and served nearly 1700 entry-level jobs seekers and incumbent worker for jobs in healthcare, construction, hospitality and financial services. SkillWorks also successfully advocated for and aligned with $70M in state workforce resources for workforce training.
In Phase III (2014-2018), SkillWorks served over 800 individual jobseekers, incumbent workers, and youth and young adults. Over 64% of jobseekers who have completed training since the beginning of 2014 have been placed in employment to date, and over 90% of those placed are still employed. SkillWorks surpassed its fundraising goal for this phase, raising more than $5.7M dollars for and reached even more youth, young adults and under/unemployed workers.
SkillWorks has been a consummate mainstay for the past 14 years, acting as an innovative funder and partner while influencing the policies and practices of dozens of organizations in the region. As the pendulum of the economy has made dramatic shifts from periods of high unemployment to today’s tight labor market, SkillWorks has applied its practice, knowledge and experience to respond as a nimble tool in support of our region’s workforce needs.
In Phase IV 2018-2021, SkillWorks continued to build on our past record of success as a nationally recognized workforce program, using our position in the sector to nimbly react to employer and worker needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. We boosted our aid to in demand training programs to support the historically unprecedented workforce challenges brought by the crisis.
Current Efforts:
In its 20th year in 2023, SkillWorks is at an exciting inflection point, looking ahead to its next chapter of impact while also reflecting on two decades of lessons learned, milestones, and accomplishments:
- Investing more than $18 million in grants to advance workforce development solutions and innovations, and leveraging millions more in public and private investment in Massachusetts
- Helping thousands of job seekers and incumbent workers progress on a path to self-sufficiency and increasing the number and capacity of workforce partnerships
- Pioneering and supporting important sector and capacity-building partnerships and programs, including coaching and communities of practice
- Advancing policy and systems solutions through research, publications, and advocacy
- Launching Project Catapult to bring together innovative and successful workforce organizations to share “next-gen” workforce development practices and connect workers and employers
- Remaining a critical convener for the broad workforce development field in Greater Boston and beyond