Press Release  Governor Healey Announces MassSkills Coalition, A New Public-Private Partnership to Promote Skills-Based Hiring

Boston — Governor Maura T. Healey has announced the formation and launch of the MassSkills Coalition, which aims to bring employers from across industries together to collaborate on strategies to recruit and retain talent. The coalition, launched today at the Massachusetts Business Roundtable’s Board Meeting at TD Garden, builds off the executive order signed by Governor Healey in January instituting skills-based hiring practices for the state’s workforce.  

“I instituted skilled-based hiring across our administration to make sure we have a strong, diverse workforce and to lower barriers that far too many job applicants face. I also called on the business community to join us in these efforts, and the MassSkills Coalition will put that commitment to work,” said Governor Healey. “Massachusetts is home to an incredible business community, world leading educational institutions, and strong labor unions – and this coalition will bring these groups together to collaborate on how we can make Massachusetts more affordable, competitive and equitable.”  

“Our Executive Order was a significant step to lower barriers to entry, and the MassSkills Coalition will take this to the next level by creating a space to share our experience with the business community and show our workforce that their skills, knowledge, and experience matter,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We look forward to seeing the incredible impact the MassSkills Coalition will have for our economy and showing the nation how Massachusetts businesses, workers, academia, and government work together to strengthen the state.”  

“The MassSkills Coalition cultivates a community of partners, embracing skills-based hiring and leveraging skills, knowledge, and abilities to attract, retain, and develop a growing workforce,” said Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones. “I look forward to teaming up with my fellow co-chairs of the MassSkills Coalition to build a community and resources for employers, workers, and jobseekers.” 

The Coalition will be co-chaired by Lauren Jones, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development; Tonja Mettlach, Executive Vice President at the Massachusetts Business Roundtable; Jerry Rubin, Eastern Bank Foundation and Harvard Fellow; and Chrissy Lynch, President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO. A full list of founding members can be found here. 

The Coalition will provide employers, business groups, and supportive partners with: 

• A learning community to assist employers in strengthening a skills-based hiring agenda to emphasize skills, knowledge, and abilities. 

• Best practices shared among employers to sustain and strengthen effective diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility (DEIA) workplace cultures. 

• Resources and data to support talent attraction and retention, which will be housed by EOLWD at www.mass.gov, and focus especially on skills-based hiring, including but not limited to: 

• Rethinking how companies source talent; 

• Re-writing job descriptions;  

• Reviewing existing assessment tools and adopting new interview processes; 

• Rethinking which jobs require degrees; 

• Developing and publishing transparent job advancement pathways; 

• Strengthening supportive work environments; 

• Creating new training modules; and 

• Recognizing and rewarding employees that earn credentials or certifications. 

Additionally, the MassSkills Coalition may form various working groups, which will be co-led by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, employers, and business associations. 

Statements of Support:  

Chrissy Lynch, President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO: 

“It’s important to have labor at the table on coalitions like this. I look forward to serving as co-chair, helping to lift up more pathways to careers with good wages, and sharing labor’s experience and successes on skills-based hiring as we’ve seen in the Registered Apprenticeship model.”  

Tonja Mettlach, Executive Vice President, Massachusetts Business Roundtable: 

“The Commonwealth’s competitive advantage is its people. Rethinking hiring practices and being creative about how we recruit, retain, and invest in talent is a top priority for the Roundtable and our members. We are honored to help lead the MassSkills coalition and look forward to working with Secretary Jones, our fellow co-chairs, and employers on this important initiative.”  

Jerry Rubin, Co-Chair, Eastern Bank Foundation and Visiting Fellow Harvard Project On The Workforce: 

“With an historically tight labor market we can’t afford not to fully tap all our talent. The MassSkills Coalition is an important step for economic competitiveness and opportunity.”   

###