Worcester State University and Quinsigamond Community College will split grants totaling $1.6 million intended to build nursing talent and create career pathways in Central Massachusetts.
As the cost of leased housing has risen and wages have stayed relatively stagnant, the portion of Worcester renters who are overburdened by the cost of their homes has risen to 51%.
By Katie Benoit Worcester
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WORCESTER, Mass. - The U.S. Department of Labor says more than 900,000 jobs were added across the county in March, that’s the most since August.
However, filling some of those positions hasn’t been easy. Restaurants in Central Massachusetts say they’re struggling to find people for open jobs.
Signs are hanging in windows across Central Massachusetts. Nick Panarelli, who owns Bucks Whiskey & Burger Bar on Green St. in Worcester, says when he used to post an open job, he’d get 40 applications, now he gets about 10.
“It just gives you slimmer pickings when you’re going through everything. Sometimes you luck out and there s just some good people that randomly show up and kind of hope for the best, Panarelli said.
Apprenticeships in IT and biotech are providing an alternative to higher education
Worcester Magazine
Alfred Ante was stuck. In the three years since immigrating from Nigeria, he had yet to find a job that would allow him to support his family. He wasn’t lacking for qualifications he had a bachelor s in environmental management and customer relations experience from starting his own company back in Nigeria. “But I had little to no computer skills,” said Ante, “which kept me from the jobs I needed.”
While Worcester’s unemployment rate has steadily improved in recent months, with the most recent figures for September falling to 8.8%, it still remains almost triple that of the same time last year. Economic recovery will have to keep trending sharply upward to even approach pre-pandemic levels.