Massachusetts Education Secretary James Peyser spoke to various business groups at Salem State University January 18 and provided updates on various department initiatives surrounding student workforce readiness.
Secretary Peyser led by citing the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education's key finding from its 2016 Survey of Employers on Public Education and Workforce Readiness conducted by MassINC - 75% of business leaders polled reported difficulty filling positions in their companies, up from 69% in the 2013 survey.
Governor Baker created the Workforce Skills Cabinet by executive order February, 2015 designed to align education, workforce and economic
development strategies across the state. The respective secretaries James Peyser, Ronald Walker and Jay Ash have engaged with business leaders to find ways to create partnerships between the employer community, workforce system and education to open up more job opportunities around the Commonwealth.
Of particular interest to business groups in attendance were discussions about partnerships such as high school paid internships, doubling support for Dual Enrollment, and increased funding for equipment to support career vocational technical education.