BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration 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. 

 

In Berkshire County, the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board was awarded a $334,438 Connected Activities Grant.   

 

Funding will 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 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." 

 

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. 

 

The grants support several 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 Hub and Career Pathway Strategies. 

 

The administration has been expanding access to career-connected education in a variety of ways through their Reimagining High School initiative.