{"id":21868,"date":"2021-03-31T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-31T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonchamber.com\/?post_type=policy-insights&#038;p=21868"},"modified":"2023-09-27T19:50:23","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T19:50:23","slug":"massachusetts-business-coalition-on-skills-releases-policy-agenda","status":"publish","type":"policy-insights","link":"https:\/\/bostonchamber.com\/policy-insights\/massachusetts-business-coalition-on-skills-releases-policy-agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"Massachusetts Business Coalition on Skills Releases Policy Agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"<style> .banner:before {\r\n        background: linear-gradient(0deg,rgba(0,0,0,0.5),rgba(0,0,0,0.5)) !important;\r\n    }<\/style><div id=\"ra_id_1648142940\" class=\"banner  standard lazyload\" style=\"background-image:inherit\" data-bg-image=\"url(https:\/\/bostonchamber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Policy-Insight-Hero-2.png)\">\r\n        <div class=\"container  banner-container text-Center\">\r\n            <div class=\"row center-items\">\r\n                                \r\n                <div class=\"col-lg-10 \"  >\r\n                                            <!-- <p class=\"label special-label\" tabindex=\"0\"><\/p> -->\r\n                    \r\n                    <h1 class=\"underline-text white \" tabindex=\"0\">\r\n                        Massachusetts Business Coalition on Skills Releases <u>Policy Agenda<\/u>                    <\/h1>\r\n                                            <div class=\"xyz\" tabindex=\"0\"><p><\/p><\/div>\r\n                        <div class=\"banner_event\">\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n                    <div class=\"banner-btn-wrapper\">\r\n                                                                                <\/div>\r\n                        <!-- <a href=\"#\">Link<\/a>\r\n                        <a class=\"arrow-link\" href=\"#\">Link<\/a>\r\n                        <a class=\"external-link\" href=\"#\">External Link<\/a>\r\n                        <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"#\">More<\/a> -->\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\njQuery(document).ready(function($){\r\n    setTimeout(function () {\r\n        console.log('here');\r\n\t\t$('#_youtube-iframe-wrapper').show();\r\n\t}, 2000);\r\n});\r\n<\/script>\n\n<style>\r\n    .cta-btn-wrapper{margin-bottom:2rem;margin-top:-10px;}\r\n<\/style>\r\n<section class=\"wysiwyg_block\">\r\n    <div class=\"container\">\r\n        <div class=\"row\">\r\n            <div class=\"col-lg-8\">\r\n            \r\n            <div class=\"generic__wrapper\">\n<section class=\"generic row\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<section class=\"bac\">The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce is partnering with chambers and business associations throughout the state to launch the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bostonchamber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Skills-Coalition-Policy-Agenda-FINAL_210701_214459.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Massachusetts Business Coalition on Skills (MBCS).<\/a>The MBCS formed because there are two sides to the skills gap and both can drag job and economic growth. On the employer side, it is difficult to find qualified talent: a 2019 survey by coalition member Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE) found that 73% of Massachusetts employers find it \u201csomewhat difficult\u201d or \u201cvery difficult\u201d to find people with the right skills to fill open positions. For workers, new skills are the springboard to job opportunities and growth: a 2016 Pew Research Center survey found that 87% of working adults believe developing new skills throughout their work life will be \u201cessential\u201d or \u201cimportant\u201d to career success.Closing the skills gap in Massachusetts requires targeted solutions. The MBCS developed a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bostonchamber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Skills-Coalition-Policy-Agenda-FINAL_210701_214459.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">poli<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/bostonchamber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Skills-Coalition-Policy-Agenda-FINAL_210701_214459.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cy agenda<\/a>\u00a0with the goal of ensuring every resident can acquire the skills needed to thrive in their careers and every employer can find the talent they need to be successful. The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bostonchamber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Skills-Coalition-Policy-Agenda-FINAL_210701_214459.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MBCS\u2019s policy agenda<\/a>\u00a0includes seven priority areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Create a pathway toward essential skills development<\/li>\n<li>Modernize Career Vocational Technical Education (CVTE)<\/li>\n<li>Incentivize employer training initiatives<\/li>\n<li>Support Massachusetts\u2019 ongoing training initiatives<\/li>\n<li>Set statewide and regional training goals<\/li>\n<li>Simplify workforce development<\/li>\n<li>Increase employer engagement<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bostonchamber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Skills-Coalition-Policy-Agenda-FINAL_210701_214459.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here to learn more about skills gaps and read our entire policy agenda.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"bac__rtf paragraph1\">Coalition Members as of July 1, 2021:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>1Berkshire<\/li>\n<li>Amplify Latinx<\/li>\n<li>Associated General Contractors of Mass<\/li>\n<li>Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>Better Business Bureau\u00a0Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI &amp; VT<\/li>\n<li>Black Economic Council of Massachusetts<\/li>\n<li>Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>Charles River Regional Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>Kendall Square Association<\/li>\n<li>Mass Technology Leadership Council<\/li>\n<li>Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents<\/li>\n<li>Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education<\/li>\n<li>Massachusetts Business Roundtable<\/li>\n<li>Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association<\/li>\n<li>Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation<\/li>\n<li>Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>Neponset River Regional Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>North Shore Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>One SouthCoast Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>Quincy Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>Retailers Association of Massachusetts<\/li>\n<li>Somerville Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<li>Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council<\/li>\n<li>Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"bac__rtf paragraph1\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebar\">\n<div class=\"sidebar__widget sidebar__widget--contact\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"footer row fullwidth\" data-equalizer=\"\">\n<div class=\"footer__col links-col\" data-equalizer-watch=\"\">\n<h3 class=\"h3 white\"><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n  \r\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":34098,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false},"tags":[49,32,54],"class_list":["post-21868","policy-insights","type-policy-insights","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-policy-makers","tag-public-policy","tag-talent"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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