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$1.3 Million in Neighborhood Jobs Trust Funding Awarded to Support Training and Education Programs for Boston Residents

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NJT funding supports local organizations that provide support services, connections to employers, and skills training to Boston residents aged 18 and over, enabling them to attain employment in high-demand industries. The grants will serve approximately 392 residents and allow the organizations to leverage approximately $3.3 million in additional funding.

"The Neighborhood Jobs Trust is a critical investment in expanding pathways to family-sustaining careers for Boston residents," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "I'm thrilled to support these twelve excellent community organizations as they provide job training, education, and wraparound support that help residents access opportunity in high-demand industries. Together, we are strengthening Boston's workforce and building a more inclusive economy."

The Neighborhood Jobs Trust is a public charitable trust that supports local organizations that address the employment needs of low-to-moderate-income adults. NJT was founded in 1987 to ensure that large-scale real estate development in Boston directly benefits Boston residents through jobs, job training, and related services. Funding in the trust is replenished by Jobs Linkage fees paid by developers of large-scale commercial projects in the city. Led by the Worker Empowerment Cabinet, the Office of Workforce Development manages these funds. Since its inception, the NJT has received over $55 million in Linkage funds to support Boston's education and workforce development efforts.

"The Neighborhood Jobs Trust plays an important role in expanding economic opportunity for Boston residents," said Chief of Worker Empowerment Trinh Nguyen. "This latest investment will help connect residents who face barriers to employment with the training and skills they need to pursue good jobs in key industries. At the same time, these programs help local employers build a stronger, more skilled workforce. Supporting residents' success strengthens Boston as a whole, and the City is proud to invest in the organizations making these opportunities possible."

NJT recipients were selected through a public Request for Grant Applications (RFGA) process administered by the Office of Workforce Development. The 2026 NJT Grantees are as follows:
The organizations will serve residents across three categories: occupational skills training, contextualized ESOL for employment, and career navigation services for young adults. The programs also prioritize the needs of underserved populations facing barriers to employment and are designed to incorporate supportive wrap-around services. One awardee, Interseminarian-Project Place, promotes a community of hope and opportunity for homeless and low-income individuals by providing the skills, education, and resources needed to obtain and sustain employment and housing. NJT funding will support Project Place's Social Enterprise Programs in Logistics and Facilities Maintenance, which include Logistics Enterprise Apprenticeship Programs (LEAP) and Clean Corners Bright Hopes (CCBH). These mission-driven social enterprises address systemic inequalities by providing pathways into employment in modern logistics and facilities maintenance. Programming engages adults impacted by homelessness, poverty, and incarceration in learn-and-earn opportunities that create meaningful pathways into industries with accessible entry-level positions and opportunities for advancement. By leveraging local employer partnerships, providing on-the-job training, employment services, and wraparound support, LEAP and CCBH facilitate each client's transition to gainful, permanent employment.

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"The Neighborhood Jobs Trust demonstrates a steadfast commitment to expanding opportunity across Boston by investing in solutions that address barriers to employment," said Aaryn Manning, Executive Director of Project Place. "Their support of Project Place's mission-driven small businesses reflects a shared belief that access to meaningful work can have a major impact in disrupting the cycle of homelessness and poverty. By supporting our transitional employment programs, NJT is not only helping connect members of historically marginalized communities to jobs, but also ensuring they have the tools needed to create lasting change in their lives. We are deeply grateful to NJT for their continued partnership and investment in this work."

NJT often funds special projects that lead residents to economic security and advancement. This year, the trust allocated funding to two initiatives that support pathways to and through post-secondary education. Firstly, in an effort to increase student persistence and completion at Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC), NJT has allocated $50,000 that will be distributed to students facing emergency financial hardship. Secondly, NJT set aside funding to support Future Beacons, a joint admissions program that allows students to enroll at Bunker Hill Community College and then earn a bachelor's degree at UMass Boston after completing their associate degree. Through a pilot, Bridge to Bachelor's, NJT funding will be distributed to 80 low-income students to reduce financial barriers, including enrollment fees and education-related expenses, and support their transition from Bunker Hill Community College and persistence until graduation from UMass Boston. With a growing number of students enrolling in community college while simultaneously facing affordability challenges, NJT is investing in low-income residents and supporting their completion of advanced degrees that will lead to economic mobility through family-sustaining careers.

"UMass Boston is thrilled that our students will benefit from the Bridge to Bachelors, a pilot program created by the City of Boston's Office of Workforce Development to improve outcomes for students on the associate to bachelor's degree transfer pathway," said Gail Stubbs, Assistant Vice Provost of Advising Excellence at UMass Boston. "This is the perfect pilot – well researched and evidence-based, including our input and input from our Bunker Hill Community College partners in the design phase around what students most need to be successful. The resulting model is flexible, student-centered, and focused on removing barriers right when it matters to students – at the beginning of their transfer journey. Our hope at UMass Boston is that this collaboration, which builds on deep partnerships between the City and our institutions, informs future programs and gives us scalable strategies to help us close equity gaps in 4-year degree attainment."

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Learn more about the Neighborhood Jobs Trust at boston.gov/neighborhood-jobs-trust
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