Press Release: 10/23/2025
Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $8.5 Million in Career-Connected Learning Grants Across 120 School Districts and Communities
Investments will increase student access to Career Technical Education programs, strengthen partnerships with local employers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
10/23/2025
MEDIA CONTACT
Karissa Hand, Press Secretary
Phone
Call Karissa Hand, Press Secretary at 617-725-4025
FITCHBURG — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced more than $8.5 million in career-connected learning grants to support school districts and workforce partners in expanding high-quality career pathways and work-based learning opportunities for students across Massachusetts. Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler made the announcement while touring Career Technical Education (CTE) classrooms at Montachusett Vocational Partnership (MVP) Academy in Fitchburg.
The funding announced today supports regional and local collaborations to expand or create CTE programs. It also supports the implementation of the Massachusetts Career Connected Learning Frameworks, MyCAP, a student-driven process that helps every student design a personalized plan for postsecondary success in college or a career, and MEFA Pathways, a statewide portal for work-based learning plans. Further, the funding supports all 16 MassHire Workforce Boards to expand work-based learning immersion experiences and build a regional system of support for high schools to connect students with meaningful career experiences.
“Every student deserves the opportunity to explore their interests and connect what they learn in the classroom to their future careers,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These grants will help schools and communities give students meaningful experiences that open doors and build confidence in their next steps after high school.”
“Our administration is focused on helping every student find a pathway to success,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “By investing in career-connected learning, we’re ensuring that students can engage in hands-on experiences, learn from local employers, and build the skills they need to excel in the workforce.”
Today’s announcement supports several key career-connected learning programs that advance the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Reimaging High School initiative and will help prepare students for success in college, career, and civic life by strengthening connections between classrooms and real-world experiences. The funding is administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and aligns with the Massachusetts Career Connected Learning Huband Career Pathway Strategies.
“Career-connected learning works best when schools, employers, and communities come together to support students,” said Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler. “When we connect classroom learning with real-world experiences, we help students build confidence, develop essential skills, and discover pathways that lead to meaningful careers and lifelong success.”
“Through these opportunities, students can see themselves in high-demand jobs, giving them meaningful goals to work toward,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “We want students to be able to make that essential connection between learning and a career.”
The administration has been expanding access to career-connected education in a variety of ways through their Reimagining High School initiative. In August, the administration approved 49 CTE programs, supporting 2,334 additional students. In June, Governor Healey signed a supplemental budget that included $100 million for CTE capital grants that will add more than 3,000 seats over three years. Also, Governor Healey’s BRIGHT Act includes $100 million for Skills Capital grants that help high schools, colleges and educational institutions upgrade technology and instructional lab spaces, expand career programs, and increase the capacity of workforce training programs. These efforts build on expansions the administration has made to Early College programs, Innovation Career Pathways, work-based learning opportunities and My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP).
“Career-connected learning increases access and opportunities for students to gain hands-on experiences and explore pathways for careers in Massachusetts,” said Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones. “We appreciate the collaboration between DESE and our MassHire regional workforce boards to unlock these foundational tools that will position students to be prepared for our future workforce.”
“We are committed to providing students with opportunities to learn and gain hands-on experience in high-demand industries to prepare them for their futures,” said Senator Jason Lewis, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “These grants will support schools and workforce partners to help students master new skills and discover possible career options.”
“The Legislature and the Administration are united in supporting work-based learning opportunities that will set students on the path to their future careers,” said Representative Ken Gordon (D-Bedford), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “These initiatives are essential to guiding students toward successful futures and meeting the evolving needs of our workforce.”
"We are so honored to be included in the 2025 STEM Week activities, providing guests with an opportunity to tour MVP Academy, visit with our students and instructors, and start to imagine how this model may be replicated in their own districts. Monty Tech is so fortunate to have incredible partnerships with Fitchburg, Gardner, and Narragansett Regional Schools - who have trusted us enough to step into this model that has not been done before in the Commonwealth. Without them, their eager students and certainly support from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, this facility - and these opportunities - would not be possible," said Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District Superintendent Tom Browne.
Career-connected learning grants and recipients
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Partnership Grant: $565,830
Supports regional and local collaborations to expand or create CTE programs that give more students access to hands-on learning and career preparation opportunities:
- Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School (Danvers)- $38,455
- Greater Lawrence Technical School (Andover)- $20,000
- Whittier Technical High School (Haverhill)- $42,000
- Lynn Public Schools- $213,875
- Leicester Public Schools- $51,500
- New Bedford Public Schools- $200,000
Connected Activities Grant: $6.3 million
Funding for all 16 MassHire Workforce Boards to expand work-based learning immersion experiences, strengthen partnerships with local employers, and build a regional system of support for high schools to connect students with meaningful career experiences:
- Berkshire County Regional Employment Board- $334,438
- Boston Private Industry Council- $1,536,417
- Bristol County Training Consortium- $301,981
- Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board- $249,382
- Cape & Island Workforce Development Board, Inc.- $305,418
- Lowell Career Center- $393,092
- North Shore Workforce Investment Board- $355,425
- Franklin Hampshire Employment & Training Consortium- $352,392
- Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board- $203,749
- Hampden County Workforce Investment Board- $407,188
- Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Board- $329,502
- Metro North Regional Employment Board- $404,662
- Metro South/West Workforce Board- $400,276
- North Central Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board, Inc.- $277,999
- South Coastal Career Development Administration- $207,724
- Worcester City Manager’s Office- $261,473
Work-Based Learning (WBL) Planning and Resource Development Grant: $500,000
Helps schools join a pilot program to expand work-based learning opportunities and implement MEFA Pathway as the new statewide work-based learning database:
- Amherst-Pelham Regional School District- $25,000
- Athol-Royalston Regional School District- $25,000
- Bourne Public Schools- $25,000
- Codman Academy Charter School (Boston)- $25,000
- Holyoke Public Schools- $25,000
- Hudson Public Schools-$12,000
- Lowell Public Schools- $25,000
- Maynard Public Schools- $25,000
- Middleborough Public Schools- $24,000
- Milford Public Schools $25,000
- Quaboag Regional School District- $23,025
- Shrewsbury Public Schools- $10,000
- Tewksbury Public Schools- $25,000
- Wachusett Regional School District- $25,000
- Webster Public Schools- $25,000
- Worcester Public Schools- $14,985
Career Connected Learning Program Development Grant: $300,000
Provides funding to support implementation of the Massachusetts Career Connected Learning Frameworks, MyCAP, and MEFA Pathways, along with program supplies and alignment with the state’s Career Pathway Principles:
- Blue Hills Regional School District (Canton)- $25,000
- Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District- $25,000
- Haverhill Public Schools- $25,000
- Hull Public Schools- $25,000
- Leominster Public Schools- $25,000
- Lynn Public Schools- $25,000
- Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District- $25,000
- Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School District- $25,000
- Quincy Public Schools- $25,000
- Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District- $25,000
- Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical School District- $25,000
- Watertown Public Schools- $25,000
My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) Grant: $925,132
Supports districts entering the planning or early implementation phase of MyCAP, a student-driven process that helps every student design a personalized plan for postsecondary success in college or a career:
- Advanced Math & Science Academy (Marlborough)- $7,000
- Andover Public Schools- $12,000
- Athol Royalston Regional School District- $7,000
- Barnstable Public Schools- $7,000
- Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School (Adams)- $7,000
- Blue Hills Regional Technical School (Canton)- $7,000
- Boston Public Schools- $69,990
- Bourne Public Schools- $7,000
- Cape Cod Regional Technical High School-$5,850
- Dedham Public Schools- $14,000
- Dighton Rehoboth Regional High School- $18,376
- Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School $7,000
- Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers- $7,000
- Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School (Danvers)- $7,000
- Fairhaven Public Schools-$5,460
- Fall River Public Schools- $46,000
- Framingham Public Schools- $6,057
- Freetown-Lakeview Regional School District- $14,000
- Gateway Regional School District- $7,000
- Georgetown Public Schools- $7,000
- Granby Public Schools- $7,000
- Greater Lowell Technical High School (Tyngsborough)- $7,000
- Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School- $7,000
- Hadley Public Schools- $7,000
- Holyoke Public Schools- $21,000
- Hoosac Valley Regional School District (Adams)- $7,000
- Innovation Academy Charter School (Tyngsborough)- $7,000
- King Philip Regional School District (Wrentham)- $7,000
- Lee Public Schools- $7,000
- Leicester Public Schools- $7,000
- Lenox Public Schools- $7,000
- Lowell Public Schools- $7,000
- Lynn Public Schools- $49,000
- Malden Public Schools- $7,000
- Mashpee Public Schools- $7,000
- Maynard Public Schools- $11,800
- Medway Public Schools- $14,000
- Methuen Public Schools- $7,000
- Milford Public Schools- $14,000
- Monson Public Schools- $3,000
- New Bedford Public Schools- $28,000
- North Adams Public Schools- $7,000
- North Attleborough Public Schools- $6,986
- North Reading Public Schools- $14,000
- Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District- $3,716
- Pittsfield Public Schools- $28,000
- Quabbin Regional School District- $9,600
- Quaboag Regional School District- $14,000
- Quincy Public Schools- $14,000
- Reading Public Schools $21,000
- Salem Public Schools- $13,780
- Scituate Public Schools- $3,100
- SEEM Collaborative (Stoneham)- $7,000
- Somerville Public Schools- $7,000
- South Shore Regional Vocational School District- $7,000
- Southern Berkshire Regional School District- $7,000
- Southern Worcester Regional Vocational School District- $6,768
- Springfield Public Schools- $63,000
- Stoneham Public Schools- $14,000
- Stoughton Public Schools- $14,000
- Sutton Public Schools- $11,000
- Taunton Public Schools- $7,000
- TEC Connections Academy Commonwealth Virtual School District- $7,000
- Triton Regional School District- $14,000
- Uxbridge Public Schools $7,000
- Veritas Preparatory Charter School- $7,000
- Wachusett Regional School District- $42,000
- Walpole Public Schools- $7,000
- Wareham Public Schools- $7,000
- Webster Public Schools- $6,999
- West Springfield Public Schools- $5,650
- Westborough Public Schools- $7,000
- Westfield Public Schools- $7,000
- Westport Public Schools- $7,000
- Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School (Haverhill)- $7,000