Massachusetts CTE schools receive $24.2 million in grants, auto body graduate talks about love for auto refinish
The Massachusetts Healey-Driscoll Administration has awarded $24.2 million in Career Technical Initiative (CTI) implementation grants to 23 school districts to train 2,490 individuals for careers in high-demand occupations within the trades, construction, and manufacturing sectors across the state.
Three of the grants will help fund auto body and collision repair programs at Greater Lawrence Technical School, Southern Worcester County Regional Vocational Technical School District, and Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School. Several other grants will help fund automotive technician programs.
The administration also awarded a $50,000 planning grant to Somerville Public Schools to prepare for the implementation of automotive, HVAC, and electrical training programs in fiscal year 2026.
The CTI grant program partners with career and technical education (CTE) schools to provide adult learners with career training and technical skills to meet the needs of Massachusetts employers. The partnership places focus on unemployed and underemployed individuals from underserved populations and underrepresented groups.
Maureen Lynch, Superintendent, Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School, said the school’s CTI program has graduated 350 students over the past five years, including 90 adult learners who will graduate from our CTI-funded programs this month.
Someone may not know what their next direction may be. They may not know if they will even have an interest in a certain path without gaining the exposure and the coaching, the mentorship, the skill-building that a program like CTI provides.
Recent Whittier auto body and collision graduate, Annayia, spoke about her CTI experience during an Aug. 5 event announcing the grant funding.
“I was ecstatic,” she said about starting in the program. “Not only did I have to get a jump start on cars, but so much other programs and trades that I could explore and learn to love.”
Annayia said she found out “just how much I love holding that paint gun in auto body.”
“Getting accepted into a program once again in the summer felt unreal,” she said. “I now got the opportunity to expand my passion through my own hands and getting my fingertips on the dream of mine to work on cars.”
She added that her shop instructor made her feel welcome and comfortable with getting her hands dirty prepping and painting cars, doing oil changes and fixing brakes, and “taking on any challenges that customers brought to us.”
“Not only did I learn independence in the shop and my abilities, but I also met some amazing people in the process,” Annayia said. “We all got comfortable fast and learned how to rely on and help each other for anything. Being with like-minded people made me feel seen and eager to be the best.
“Never would I have imagined a girl like me being under cars and doing the most in a scene that’s mainly male-dominated. But that never stopped me. Standing here now, I could proudly say that this eagerness of mine got me a career opportunity to work at Marshall’s Auto Body Experts… I hope you can look at me and feel the same with yourself and your amazing passions that keep thriving, not only through this amazing program, but through life.”
Since 2023, the Healey-Driscoll Administration, in partnership with Commonwealth Corp., has awarded $53 million in CTI Grants, projected to train over 6,090 unemployed and underemployed individuals, according to a press release from the administration. The most recent launch was the 10th cohort of CTI grants.
“Among nine awarded cohorts, to date, over 4,400 total participants have received training, over 3,150 participants have completed training, over 3,100 have earned industry-recognized credentials, and over 2,360 have secured employment,” the release states.
“We are grateful for the continued funding that allows us to advance this important work and expand opportunities for adult learners,” she said.
The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) oversees the CTI program, which is administered by Commonwealth Corp., a quasi-public agency of EOLWD.
“Each of the 23 awarded implementation grants that we celebrate today is going to help close the skills gap, increase access to well-paying jobs, especially for unemployed and underemployed individuals, and strengthen productivity for our workforce that we know employers are looking for today,” said Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones during the event.
“The CTI program opens doors for adult learners by providing the hands-on training they need to step into high-demand careers in construction, the trades, and manufacturing,” said Gov. Maura Healey in the release. “With some of the best public Career Technical Education schools in the country and strong employer partnerships, Massachusetts is positioned to prepare our residents for rewarding, lifelong careers.”
The CTI transforms career and technical education schools across the state into “Career Technical Institutes” that run three shifts a day for skill-building programs in the trades, construction, and manufacturing career pathways, according to the release.
The most recent grant funding of $24.2 million focuses on job training for adult learners who participate in evening hours.
“These awards are a key part of our agenda to build a job-ready workforce for today and the future,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll in the release. “By tapping into our world-class education system and investing in targeted job training, we’re growing the talent pipeline that employers across Massachusetts depend on to compete and thrive.”
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Featured image: Recent Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School auto body and collision graduate, Annayia, speaks about her CTI experience during an Aug. 5 event announcing the grant funding. (YouTube screenshot)
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