The Healey-Driscoll Administration recently hit a significant milestone, with Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones announcing over 10,000 registered apprentices in Massachusetts since January 2023. This achievement was spotlighted during Jones’s keynote address at the American Swiss Foundation’s Innovation Forum, where the focus was on the future of work and the role of Registered Apprenticeship in building a strong, skilled workforce. The forum, co-hosted by the American Swiss Foundation, brought together a consortium of workforce development leaders intent on discussing and advancing apprenticeship initiatives across various industries.
In her remarks, Secretary Jones spoke of Massachusetts’s innovative approach to growing its Registered Apprenticeship programs. The state, she said, is keen to strengthen its economic competitiveness by leveraging apprenticeship as a tool to meet present employer needs and to also nurture a sustainable talent pipeline. “Massachusetts has long been a hub of innovation, and we’re channeling that same spirit into how we grow Registered Apprenticeship and strengthen our economic competitiveness,” Governor Maura Healey conveyed at the forum, as reported by Mass.gov. Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll added, “Registered Apprenticeship is a powerful workforce development strategy that helps employers close skills gaps while providing individuals with a pathway to good-paying careers.”
The forum also served as an opportunity to introduce the new Apprenticeship Registration System developed by the Division of Apprentice Standards (DAS). This advanced system aims to streamline program management for apprenticeship sponsors with features like mobile accessibility, an improved user-friendly interface, and electronic apprentice identification cards. Such enhancements stand to simplify the administrative aspects of apprenticeship and potentially attract more employers to participate in the program…