This month, the Joint Committee on Education heard testimony on MBAE bills filed by Representative Jeff Roy and Senator Eric Lesser that would expand opportunities for students in all high schools to earn industry-recognized credentials that are in-demand by employers and aligned with workforce needs.

House bill 691 and Senate bill 351 will provide students with relevant training and career exposure in Massachusetts’ high priority sectors – Information Technology, Healthcare, Advanced Manufacturing and Finance and Business – and address employer’s biggest challenge: finding diverse, highly qualified candidates with the right skills.

These bills will address this by:

• Creating a financial incentive to be awarded to schools for every student that earns an industry-recognized credential in a high need industry or that is recognized by a higher education institution; and,
• Requiring the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to create and annually refresh a list of high need occupations that require an industry-recognized credential leading to greater alignment between our education system and workforce need.

These bills enjoy broad support from business groups across the state.

Read MBAE’s testimony on the bill to learn more.