Workforce Development

Jobs for the Future Inc., a Boston education and <b>workforce development</b> nonprofit, has been awarded an $8 million grant from the Department of Labor to expand green-job training programs for unemployed and low-skilled workers in Boston <b>...</b>

For years, federal officials who track economic data have tried to get more accurate numbers for job gains and losses in each state, especially from those with smaller populations, which carry a greater potential for statistical error, Brown said. The latest development in that effort happened in March, when the BLS took over responsibility from state-level labor and workforce development agencies of the employment survey, which produces the monthly job numbers.

Despite a recent commitment of $6 million in state funds, area employment boards are gearing for what they expect will be a challenging summer when it comes to providing jobs for teens.

The union, which represents about 42,000 hospital and nursing home workers in Massachusetts, says funds should be set aside to retrain workers for the medical jobs of the future.

An Act Promoting Transparency & Efficiency in Economic Development Spending, would require companies receiving discretionary state subsidies to make firm job-creation promises, increase reporting and tracking to make sure those commitments are being met, cap the amount the state will give out for the creation of one full-time equivalent job at $35,000, and require the state to recapture (“clawback”) a pro-rated portion of the subsidy if a company doesn’t meet its job-creation commitment.

Job training and placement programs, so badly needed in places like Fall River, where nearly one person in five is unemployed, could be severely cut this summer when stimulus funds dry up and a federal funding program may shrink.

Congress is debating whether to cut $3 billion in funding for 3,000 career centers — including 37 in Massachusetts — that provide a lifeline to the unemployed through counseling, job listings, and training. Congressional Republicans have proposed eliminating all funding for the program, forcing most, if not all, of the centers to close. Senator Brown is supporting the cuts.