# Labor & Economic Development on November 12, 2026


**Body:** Boston City Council
**Date:** November 11, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Education, Grants & Funding


The Boston City Council Committee on Labor and Economic Development held a grant hearing on November 12, 2026, concerning docket items 1787, 2026, 2028, 2029, 2082, 2084, and 2085. The items sought authorization for the City to accept and expend grants supporting workforce services, including job-search and career-center services, training and employment pathways, unemployment-claimant assistance, and business workforce training. A $300,000 Harvard University grant for a city leadership fellow and a $95,000 Workforce Training Fund grant were stated in the transcript; several other grant amounts were garbled and cannot be reliably confirmed. No contract awards, vendor selections, or purchasing decisions were discussed, and no votes or motions were reported before the hearing adjourned.

Staff described the two MassHire career centers, operated by Jewish Vocational Services and ABCD, as key recipients of pass-through workforce funding; they served 15,516 clients in FY26, and eligible participants may receive training vouchers of up to $10,000. Apprenticeship and youth-program funding supports pathways that include EMT, commercial driver’s license, and other in-demand careers, with partners including YouthBuild, MassBioEd, Best Hospitality, and Boston EMS. Staff noted lower federal workforce allocations than in prior years and a waitlist for some City Academy programs. The hearing did not identify a policy change affecting future procurement.

**Source:** Boston City Council