Increasingly we are learning that cyber threats are posing serious challenges to businesses and governments. Today, the need for cybersecurity professionals far outpaces the supply. In response, Bay Path University has added new, career-focused concentrations to its MS in Cybersecurity program! These new concentrations include Cyber Defense, Digital Forensics, and Generalist.
Home City Development, Inc. is taking part in the HUD sponsored Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program for the first time. This program specifically works to alleviate the pitfalls of the “cliff effect” (the sudden and often unexpected decrease in public benefits with a small increase in earnings), that many residents in affordable housing run into. Currently in place for Liberty Hill Town House residents, the FSS program launched in the spring of 2021, and we received Community Block Development funds from the City of Springfield in July 2021. The startup effort continues into 2022, enhanced by a recently awarded Urban Agenda ...
The Baker-Polito Administration today announced contracts with COVID-19 at-home test manufacturers that will allow municipalities and eligible entities to begin the process of placing orders for rapid test kits that utilize the state-negotiated prices. These contracts build on an announcement earlier this month that the Administration secured 2.1 million iHealth Labs over-the-counter at-home rapid antigen tests that were delivered to 102 cities and towns in Massachusetts with the highest percentage of families below the poverty level, according to US Census data. These kits were delivered to those communities free of charge, as part of a focus on increasing access ...
$100,000 Urban Agenda Grant was recently awarded to Springfield WORKS, the lead applicant in a team including Home City Development, Inc. as the primary partner. The funds will be used to facilitate a community-wide collaboration, with the Western Mass Economic Development Council to manage, coordinate, and support the work of numerous participating program partner organizations, in efforts to support families in Springfield achieve economic stability. The funds will go towards the 2Generation/Whole Family Approach to Pathways to Careers and Home Ownership Program, which is a holistic, creative, and collaborative approach that helps low-income families access career development tools ...
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno is pleased to learn that according to a recent article from the Business Journals the City of Springfield ranked #1 for the biggest growth in the nation for tech jobs. According to the article, Springfield, Massachusetts saw a 506.3% increase in tech job postings from 2020 to 2021. In the Third Quarter of 2020 there were only 602 tech job postings but in the Third Quarter of 2021 that number jumped to an astonishing 3,650.
The Economic Pathways MA Coalition and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta will launch the Economic Pathways Income Cliff Calculator (EPICC) dashboard, the realization of a statewide partnership formed to help workers advance their careers while transitioning from public benefits. EPICC will launch at the monthly Economic Pathways MA Coalition meeting on October 19 at 3 p.m. (ET). The meeting is open to the media.
The Connecticut Airport Authority is pleased to announce that Condé Nast Traveler today released the results of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, with Bradley International Airport recognized as the 3rd best airport in the U.S. More than 800,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers submitted responses rating their travel experiences across the globe to provide a full snapshot about the places they can’t wait to return to next.
MassCEC is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity in Boston this October: New Market Opportunities in Offshore Wind: Supply Chain 101 Seminar, a regional effort in partnership with Rhode Island Commerce, and Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, at the upcoming American Clean Power (ACP) Offshore WINDPOWER 2021 conference. This seminar will provide a helpful tutorial for those who are looking at the business opportunities of the emerging offshore wind industry by reviewing the market projections, breaking down the different elements and taxonomy of an offshore wind project; examining the various procurement and contracting processes; and providing general offshore ...
Over the last several months some of the region’s largest businesses have met to discuss how they can leverage their own institutional and operational resources to address problems caused by historic segregation and disinvestment in low-income communities and to grow the regional economy. As a result, Baystate Health, Big Y, The City of Springfield, The City of Holyoke, United Personnel, University of Massachusetts/Amherst, Springfield College, Holyoke Community College, Comcast, and Bay Path University have formed the Western Massachusetts Anchor Collaborative through the leadership of the EDC. An “anchor” strategy is one where institutions commit to serving as place-based ...
that SBA’s National Small Business Week and Virtual Summit is this week. Your members can still register for sessions of this three-day, free, online conference; this opportunity is suitable not just for business organizations, but also for individual small businesses. Businesses can expect educational webinars, updates on resources for small businesses, and a networking chat room for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. (See the Summit agenda and list of sessions here.)
On Thursday morning, September 9, 2021, over 60 executives and others gathered via zoom to hear from medical experts – Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, Inc. and Dr. Robert Roose, Chief Medical Officer from Mercy Medical Center on the state of COVID-19 in Western Mass. They issued a collective call to action on taking pertinent measures to combat the rising trend of COVID-19 cases. Legal expert Mary Jo Kennedy, Esq. with Bulkley, Richardson, and Gelinas, LLP, also joined the conversation and shared legal steps that executives should consider when issuing a vaccine mandate or other health protocols ...
THIS COMMUNITY VIRTUAL EVENT IS FREE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2021 / 9:30 am – 11:00 am EST
REGISTER NOW AT baypath.edu/cybersummit
Registration for this event is required; details on how to join the webinar will be sent to registered participants before the event.
We are happy to announce three new professional development options through HCC and TWO.
Get your game on for some serious table tennis competition right here in Downtown Springfield. Rally in the Alley is a month-long outdoor ping-pong points league held on Market Street in collaboration with the Springfield Thunderbirds, NOSH Café, and Sweet Idea’s. It will be the first event of its kind hosted in the heart of the city. Taking place every Thursday night, from 4:30pm – 6:30pm.
Enshrinement Weekend and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is making that extra trifecta shot by teaming up with the Springfield Business Improvement District and Westfield Bank to produce a free concert with local party favorite Darik and the Funbags and NBC’s The Voice finalist and local favorite Michelle Brooks-Thompson outside at the Basketball Hall of Fame. The concert will take place on Sunday, September 12th from 1pm – 5pm and is free to the public.
Sweet, salty or savory, The Big E has something for everyone’s tastes buds including new foods that are sure to please any palate at the 2021 Big E, Sept. 17 to Oct. 3.
Springfield Technical Community College is one of six colleges that received a federal grant that aims to increase the number of college courses that use free Open Educational Resources rather than costly textbooks. STCC is part of a consortium that received a $440,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education for a new project to add more access to free Open Educational Resources (OERs). The goal of the grant is to make college more affordable and inclusive. Chelsea Contrada, STCC’s OER librarian, said the grant will help STCC support its mission to remove barriers for underrepresented students ...
The Baker-Polito Administration today filed a final Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) supplemental budget proposal that aims to improve Massachusetts’ economic competitiveness as the Commonwealth continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The $1.568 billon supplemental budget would provide $1 billion in unemployment insurance relief for employers, support greater resources for local charities and nonprofits and ensure that small businesses do not bear a tax burden for assistance received through pandemic relief programs. The legislation relies on a FY21 surplus of approximately $5 billion and would also make critical investments in housing, human services, and education
The EDC has partnered with the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board, to launch a regional in-person job fair called the Western Mass Job Trails. The Western Mass Job Trail will be held on September 8th and September 15th with the goal to support hiring needs through a seamless hiring process. The initiative comes at no cost to you - we ask for active participation to meet with potential candidates during designated time blocks on both dates. (10am - 1pm and/or 2pm - 5pm).
The Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts welcomes Xiomara Albán DeLobato as their new Chief of Staff. With over a decade of experience in the public and private sphere, DeLobato has been a steadfast advocate for equitable access to economic and academic growth and opportunity in the region.
The East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce (ERC5), in collaboration with 11 other chambers in Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties, is pleased to announce that the “413 Let’s Go Out” restaurant campaign has launched! This campaign was created to encourage the continued support of restaurants throughout our region. The campaign will run through September 30th and will amplify the statewide “Let’s Go Out” campaign to raise public awareness about the importance of supporting our local restaurants and the role they play in driving economic activity.
The Economic Development Council of Western Mass (EDC) recently held its 2021 Annual Meeting at the Student Prince/Fort Restaurant in downtown Springfield. The in person meeting was a statement by the region’s business community that Western Mass is open for business. The highlight of the meeting was a heartfelt goodbye to outgoing Chair, Kevin Vann, Chair and Founder of the Vann Group and a welcome to the new EDC Chair Tricia Canavan, President of United Personnel.
The Economic Development Council of Western Mass (EDC) recently held its 2021 Annual Meeting at the Student Prince/Fort Restaurant in downtown Springfield. The in person meeting was a statement by the region’s business community that Western Mass is open for business. The highlight of the meeting was a heartfelt goodbye to outgoing Chair, Kevin Vann, Chair and Founder of the Vann Group and a welcome to the new EDC Chair Tricia Canavan, President of United Personnel.
Bay Path University is pleased to announce Dr. Ann Errichetti has been appointed Associate Provost and Dean, School of Education, Human and Health Services and will begin her role on August 23, 2021. Dr. Ann Errichetti returned to New England in the summer of 2018, after successful careers in health care management and in cardiology. Most recently, she served as the Chief Operations and Academic Officer at Presence Health, a $2.6 billion Catholic health system in Chicago with 12 acute care hospitals, 25+ senior living facilities, and 16,000 employees. She was a core member of the turnaround team ...