Building Opportunities for Boston
The Y’s workforce development programs are strengthening families and the local economy.
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| John M. Ferrell, President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Boston |
Amid growing concerns about the economy, low-income families and new Americans are feeling the pinch. To ease the impact, YMCA of Greater Boston is working — in partnership with government, corporate and private supporters — to create economic opportunities for everyone in our community, much as we have done for the past 157 years.
YMCA Training, Inc. provides adults with state-of-the-art skills training to help them obtain good jobs with good wages. More than 3,700 adults have graduated since the program began in 1984. Graduates are meeting the staffing needs of more than 200 employers, including many of Boston’s largest and best-known companies.
More than 80 percent of graduates find full-time jobs — almost all with benefits — and over 90 percent are still working after one year. Collectively, these individuals earned more than US$88 million in salaries and contributed more than $23 million in taxes last year.
Sixty percent of the participants are immigrants, and a single class may include trainees from as many as 15 countries. Most are already in the workforce but need additional skills to qualify for jobs that will enable them to support their families.
Training, Inc. provides more than 600 hours of full-time training in a simulated office environment and at internships with local employers. Participants learn fundamental computer and software skills and develop the teamwork, communication, critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities that are crucial to professional success.
Training, Inc. represents just one way the YMCA contributes to the social and economic health of metropolitan Boston. Each year, over 100,000 kids, adults and seniors turn to the YMCA of Greater Boston to meet growing needs for health and wellness programs as well as child care, teen centers and senior activities. One in six Boston children attends a YMCA after-school program, and some 10,000 children attend YMCA summer camps. Nearly half of these children receive scholarships.
The YMCA’s success has come largely as a result of private support from companies, foundations and individuals. One key supporter, Microsoft, is enabling hundreds of children and adults to enter the digital world of work and communication through a generous financial contribution, plus donations of software and more than 100 computers.
Current economic uncertainties will create a greater demand for YMCA services, including Training, Inc. A skilled workforce is essential to a robust economy. A greater investment is needed from both government and business sectors to protect the long-term stability of Boston’s workforce and to ensure that fewer families need to rely on public assistance to meet basic needs.
