Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
At the State House on Nov. 19, Gov. Maura Healey and the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development honored the MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board’s Youth Programs Team with the Business Collaboration Award.
The award recognizes exemplary partnerships that strengthen career pathways for young people and promote workforce development across the state.
Healey highlighted the Youth Programs Team’s innovative work in building meaningful employer relationships, supporting youth development, and strengthening the regional workforce pipeline. The honor reflects the team’s commitment to connecting young people with real career opportunities and demonstrates the value of collaboration between government, employers and youth-serving organizations.
During the summer of 2025, the Youth Programs Team connected more than 280 young people, ages 14 to 25, with six-week paid internships across industries such as manufacturing, hospitality, early childhood education, clean energy, and robotics. The youths gained hands-on experience and were exposed to high-demand careers.
The Youth Programs Team continues to expand employer partnerships, increase access to career pathways for underserved youth, and align programming with both regional workforce needs and statewide priorities.
The award and the work of the Youth Programs Team occur within the broader context of the state’s YouthWorks initiative, with MassHire Greater New Bedford administering local programs.
MassHire Greater New Bedford is a business-led, policy-setting board that oversees workforce development initiatives in a 10-community region including Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Lakeville, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Rochester and Wareham. Appointed by New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, the board is composed of business, civic, education, labor and community leaders. It is one of 16 similar boards in Massachusetts.