QCC granted funding bump for third year of workforce training for formerly incarcerated individuals
Photo | Grant Welker
The Quinsigamond Community College campus in Worcester
Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester has received a slice of $2.6 million in state funding to train formerly incarcerated individuals returning to the workforce for jobs in the culinary, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and healthcare industries.
As one of 11 organizations receiving funding, QCC was granted $239,216 in financing this year, marking the college’s third consecutive year securing a grant through the state’s Re-Entry Workforce Development Demonstration program, according to a Monday press release from the college.
The workforce grants are an initiative funded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and administered by Commonwealth Corp., a Boston-based quasi-public agency working to promote workforce equity throughout the state.
In 2023, QCC received $200,000 from the grant program and $160,000 in 2022.
“Funding for these types of workforce training programs through re-entry grants enables us to provide vital skills and training necessary for returning citizens to be successful and self-sufficient, providing a pathway to a better life. This not only helps the individual person, but it also bolsters our economy locally and statewide,” QCC President Luis Pedraja said in the release.
With the awarded funds, QCC will partner with the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction to train 20 individuals to enter the culinary and hospitality fields. Training graduates will be offered food preparation positions with SnapChef, a Worcester-based employment agency, and with members of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, based in Westborough.
“Providing formerly incarcerated individuals with job skills is more than just an opportunity for a paycheck – it’s a pathway to restoring dignity, rebuilding trust and laying the foundation for a brighter future,” Kathie Manning, QCC dean of workforce development and continuing education, said in the release. “We are deeply grateful for the support of the Commonwealth Corp. as we work to empower returning citizens to reintegrate into society, unlocking their full potential and creating a ripple effect of positive change that benefits families, employers and communities alike."
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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