The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that in the decade between 2008 and 2018, job growth for clinical laboratory workers will exceed 14%, a rate that is “faster than average for all occupations.” The BLS also predicts that the number of job openings in the field will continue to exceed the number of those entering the field.

To address the critical need for clinical laboratory workers in the Metro North region, the REB has joined forces with Lahey Clinic, Hallmark Health, and Middlesex Community College (MCC) to establish the Metro North Healthcare Partnership.  With a $200K grant that was recently awarded to the REB by Commonwealth Corporation, the Partnership will implement a long-term, multi-pronged strategy. 

The award will be used identify and develop solutions to meet the growing need for additional training and education in clinical laboratory science.  Specifically, these efforts will involve: supporting the development of a career ladder, which will build on the requirements necessary for future Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) Certification options; providing opportunities for 20 unemployed and incumbent workers to earn a certificate through the existing Phlebotomy Program at MCC; hiring qualified consultants to develop a Clinical Laboratory Assistant Certificate Program; exploring course requirements that would allow individuals with a BS degree to be eligible for certification as a Medical Laboratory Technician; and exploring the viability of an additional MLT Associate’s Degree within the region. 

To ensure a positive impact over the long-term, the Partnership will also expand membership to include all of the major healthcare institutions within the Metro North region.  This expansion will serve to ensure the ongoing viability and effectiveness of the Partnership, as well as cultivate an enduring linkage between organizational members and the Metro North Career Centers.

Periodic updates of the Partnership’s progress will be made available on this Web site.

Metro North REB Executive Director Nancy Brown has been appointed to a task force that is charged with developing strategies to enhance opportunities for social and economic advancement for underserved residents of the Commonwealth. The Task Force on the Chronically Unemployed and Underemployed began discussions in late January, and will fulfill its obligations within a three-month timeframe. It is developing recommendations and an action plan to respond to the short-term needs of target populations, as well as to establish a more systematic approach over the long-term. The dual focus of the Task Force is to develop strategies that will increase the skill levels of chronically unemployed workers, and enhance access to jobs for low-wage workers in key growth sectors.

Task Force members represent a wide range of MA-based constituencies, including state and local workforce development agencies, community-based organizations, and organized labor. “This is a wonderful opportunity to share best practices, and to use our combined expertise to provide clear, feasible recommendations to Governor Patrick. I am confident that our recommendations will enable the Commonwealth to optimize its efforts, resulting in tangible results for the state’s chronically unemployed residents,” Ms. Brown said.

The Task Force will present its findings and recommendations to Governor Patrick this spring.

On Friday, November 6, 2009, key leaders in business, academia, and secondary education from across the state gathered to discuss how to engage students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, to help prepare them, and the U.S., to compete in the global marketplace. The event, which included an impressive line-up of speakers, moderators, and attendees, was the result of a team effort by several individuals, most notably: Larissa Schelkin, CEO and Co-Founding Director of The Diversity and Outreach in Mathematics and Engineering (DOME) Foundation; Lee Silvestre, Vice President of Mission Innovation for Raytheon; and Lisa Aucoin, Director of Mobile Maritime Sensor WIN Initiative for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.  Titled “Staying in the STEM Pipeline,” the symposium was co-sponsored by the Metro North Regional Employment Board, and held at Raytheon Corporation in Woburn, MA.

Dr. Daniel Hastings, MIT Dean for Undergraduate Education and Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering Systems, was a featured speaker at the event.  Citing the growing need to cultivate a new generation of STEM professionals in the U.S., Dr. Hastings voiced the importance of developing a multi-pronged strategy, which involves leaders in both the public and private sector, to encourage and prepare students to pursue careers in one of the STEM areas. Dr. Hastings explained that as part of this approach, high school guidance counselors and educators need to develop a firm grasp of what professionals in the STEM occupations do on a daily basis.  Dr. Hastings also emphasized the importance of getting teachers and guidance counselors excited about the STEM fields, to help open doors for their students by empowering them with both information and enthusiasm. 

Keynote speaker Lisa Aucoin said that as a company which employs over 70,000 workers in the STEM fields, Raytheon is experiencing these challenges first-hand.  Raytheon has responded by sponsoring a wide range of research and programmatic efforts. For example, their Stand and Deliver Corporate Campus program pairs corporate volunteers with high school students to provide academic support to help prepare students for the MCAS exam.  Another Raytheon STEM outreach project, Math Moves U, is an innovative online program that was developed specifically for middle school students.  Through an interactive, web-based game, Math Moves U is designed to effectively communicate and reinforce math concepts by integrating them with subjects that are of common interest among students in this age range, such as sports, music and fashion.

Other initiatives in the state include the Massachusetts-based Tapping America’s Potential (TAP) Coalition, which is comprised of 15 leading business organizations that have joined forces to “voice the community’s deep concern about sustaining U.S. scientific and technological leadership into the future.”  The group’s efforts are driven by two primary goals: to increase the number of college students receiving bachelor degrees in STEM areas, placing particular emphasis on underrepresented populations; and, to increase the number of STEM teachers in middle and high schools across the state.  More information on this initiative can be obtained from the Massachusetts Business Round Table, www.marountable.com.

In addition, The Metro South/West Regional Employment Board has developed Leadership Initiatives for Teaching and Technology (LIFT²).  This year-long program provides teachers with the information and tools required to cultivate a learning environment that will help motivate their students to pursue careers in the STEM fields.

Further information on current STEM-related activities will soon be posted on the Metro North Regional Employment Board Web site: www.mnreb.org.

To learn more about the DOME Foundation, please visit www.domefoundation.org.

The Career Place in Woburn is hosting a multi-industry job fair on Tuesday, December 8, from 10am to 12noon.For more information, please visit:http://www.careerplacejobs.com/.

This year’s Diversity and Outreach in Mathematics and Engineering (DOME) Foundation annual symposium will be held this Friday, November 6. Titled “Staying in the STEM Pipeline,” the event, which is co-sponsored by the Metro North REB, will be held at Raytheon Corporation in Woburn, MA. Featured speakers include Dr. Dan Hastings, MIT’s Dean of Undergraduate Education, as well as top-level executives from Raytheon Corporation. For more information, please contact Larisa Schelkin at larisa@domefoundation.org.

The Metro North REB is pleased to present a forum for guidance counselors and high school administrators titled Guiding for Success: Understanding the State of Labor Markets in the Metro North Region. The forum will feature a presentation by Neeta Fogg, Senior Economist for the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University. This event will be held on Wednesday, October 28, 2009, from 2 – 4pm at the Tufts University Mayer Campus Center, Large Conference Room, 44 Professors Row, Medford, MA.  To register, please contact Priscilla Golding, (617) 864-1524, or email: pgolding@mnreb.org.

On her August, 2009 visit to the Cambridge-based Just-A-Start Biomedical Careers Program, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training, Jane Oates, got a first-hand look at American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds at work.  Joined by several colleagues from the DOL regional office and the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development, as well as Nancy Brown of the Metro North REB, Assistant Secretary Oates toured the facility and met with staff, instructors, and program participants.  The program is based on an innovative educational model that provides participants with both an academic foundation as well as basic occupational skills training, preparing local residents for entry-level positions in the biotechnology, research, and medical fields. The Metro North REB is pleased to have been able to support several low-income participants of the program through funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

On July 6, the REB successfully launched its Summer Youth Employment Program funded with an Economic Stimulus grant through the U.S. Department of Labor.  Over five hundred youth from the region’s twenty communities have been placed in municipal and non-profit worksites ranging from childcare, landscaping and clerical work to food service and library assistance.

In addition to these diverse employment opportunities, over one hundred youth have been placed in Special Projects which combine team-oriented work experience with educational activities.

During the course of the summer, youth will work for 25 hours a week, at a wage of $8.00 per hour.  The program is expected to end on August 21.

The Metro North Regional Employment Board (REB) announces the availability of a Request for Proposals (RFP), intended to fund group education/occupational skills training utilizing monies from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). About 20% of funds available for training under ARRA will be available under this RFP; the remaining training funds will be available through Individual Training Accounts (ITAs).

The REB is seeking proposals in specific industries/occupations, including:  healthcare; professional, scientific, and technical services; green jobs; pre-apprenticeship training; innovative programs in other occupational areas with demonstrated labor market demand; and vocational ESOL/job readiness. Concurrent education/occupational skills program designs are encouraged. Proposed programs should focus their services on dislocated workers and low income adults from the Massachusetts Metro North region

The RFP, issued on April 17, 2009, is available for download on this site under “Funding Opportunities.” The deadline for submission is Monday, May 11, 4:00 pm, at the REB Offices, 125 CambridgePark Drive, Cambridge.

A Bidder’s Conference is scheduled for Monday, April 27, 2009, 2:00 – 3:30 pm at Career Source, 186 Alewife Brook Parkway, Suite 310, Cambridge. Attendance is optional.

For further information or to request an RFP, please contact Linda Bass at (617) 864-1570 or at lbass@mnreb.org.  In addition to the download available on this site (Funding Opportunities), electronic copies of the RFPs may be obtained via email in MSWord format.

Somerville, MA — Immigrants face a series of hurdles every day, especially when it comes to employment. Last week, Somerville Aldermen Dennis Sullivan and Bill Roche joined a panel discussion about the special challenges immigrant youth and their families face with about 20 local parents and youth workers at the Stop & Shop Community Room.

Moderated by Gladys Maged, P-21 Advisor to the Metro North Regional Employment Board, the forum “Preparing for the Workplace” focused on the unique issues youth must work through in their job search. Ms. Maged commented, “The Metro North Regional Employment Board identified that parents need assistance to help their children enter the workforce. Young people want jobs and careers that allow them to support themselves and their families for life. Immigrant families often face greater barriers and need further support.“

A group of accomplished panelists, all immigrants and professionals in the education or workforce development fields, set the framework for the discussion. Dr. Jayanthi Mistri, Professor, Department of Child Development, Tufts University recalled that “although I was in the US to study at a university, it was daunting to navigate the local systems even to make a phone call. “ Later, when establishing a home for her family, she relied heavily on the advice and information provided informally by her teaching colleagues. Her experience underscored the importance of “social capital”: connections between people and social networks. “Immigrants are often part of communities who have come from the same place and who can give the comfort of shared culture and language. “Bridging capital” refers to connections with those outside of the like group such as those in other cultural and geographic communities and in institutions such as schools, government and agencies who may control access to opportunities.

Victor Santana, Immigrant and Refugee Program Director, ROCA – Chelsea

shared his immigration story involving living in several countries before arriving in the U.S. He spoke about the common practice of children helping their parents navigate U.S. systems because the child speaks English and understands the culture better than the parent. While still in elementary school, Victor wrote checks, paid bills, interpreted at medical appointments and made phone calls. “There is a great need to reach immigrant youth and emphasize the potential gain for all of us in gaining decent jobs. Many immigrants who are eligible to work legally or to obtain citizenship may harbor fears and lack information about their legal status.“

Maria Landeverde, Youth Coordinator, Welcome Project – Somerville hosts a workshop series entitled “First in the Family to Go to College” that prepares students and their parents for the college admission process. She credited several agencies that helped her enter college and obtain both a BA and an MA. At the Welcome Project, Maria coordinates an interpreter liaison program that trains bilingual teens to serve as interpreters in community meetings and events. “The teens are trained by professional interpreters; are educated in the subject matter that they will be interpreting; and learn about their communities and educational and career opportunities.“

The dynamic discussion period served as a good time for networking among participants. People who provided similar services in different communities became aware of each other for the first time. A number of people realized that they had shared problems or goals and began considering working together on solutions.

The Metro North Regional Employment Board is a public-private partnership established to set local workforce policy, oversee the One Stop Career Centers where job placement services are provided, and to match the needs of employers with skilled employees and the needs of workers with training opportunities and job placements. For more information, visit www.mnreb.org.