In 2024, MTF expanded on its analysis of workforce programs in Massachusetts with a closer look at the state’s behavioral health workforce. The report examined the rising need for behavioral health services, workforce trends, and the factors that limit the state’s ability to grow the workforce. The report provided an overview of notable state and federal workforce investments and highlighted examples of programs launched by organizations in the field and how other states address the sector’s labor needs.

On January 28th, the Healey-Driscoll administration released its $63.36 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget proposal. The spending plan reflects an increase of $2.3 billion (3.8 percent) over the FY 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and $668 million (1.1 percent) over the administration’s estimated FY 2026 spending level.

This brief focuses on the $559.5 million included in the Governor’s FY 2027 budget proposal for workforce programs, including descriptions of where investments occur and how proposed funding compares to the FY 2026 GAA.

This Fact Sheet builds on MTF’s earlier UI Fact Sheets, which outlined the basic structure of the system and detailed the

On January 22nd, the Healey-Driscoll administration released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget proposal, which included notable spending increases in health care, education, and transportation. The $62.07 billion spending plan is a $4.3 billion (7.4 percent) increase over the FY 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and a $1.8 billion (2.1 percent) increase over the administration’s FY 2025 estimated spending level.

Policymakers used additional state and federal resources during the pandemic to make a significant investment in the state’s workforce development system. These workforce investments all share a common goal; to address labor shortages in critical sectors and support vocational training programs for underemployed, unemployed, and eligible youth populations. After providing an overview of significant workforce investments in the COVID bills, several themes emerge.

Most Important Things to Know

The following brief provides an analysis of state workforce investments in state budgets from FY 2019 to FY 2023 organized in MTF’s training opportunities for state-serving populations workforce category. As MTF noted in our earlier introductory brief, these programs provide workforce-related support services to populations involved with other state services (i.e. Department of Developmental Services clients or families receiving cash assistance from the Department of Transitional Assistance).

The following brief provides an analysis of state workforce investments in the FY 2019 to FY 2023 budgets focusing on sector-based training programs. As MTF noted in our earlier introductory brief, these programs prioritize creating talent pipelines to critical job sectors by providing financial assistance for training and streamlined credentialing courses. The brief provides an overview of sector-based programs and highlights the five largest programs that represent two-thirds of all funding within this category in FY 2023.

The State’s Workforce Investments – Most Important Things to Know