50+ Job Seekers in MA
Statewide Networking Group

Funding provided through the Executive Office of Elder Affairs

ABCD (Action for Boston Community Development): TRAIN TO BE AN EARLY ED TEACHER AT NO COST TO YOU. ABCD

Alison is one of the world’s largest free learning platforms for education and skills training, diplomas and certifications. It is a for-profit social enterprise dedicated to making it possible for anyone, to study anything, anywhere, at any time, for free online, at any subject level. Founded in Galway, Ireland in 2007 by serial entrepreneur, Mike Feerick, its stated objective is to serve as a catalyst for positive social change, creating opportunity, prosperity, and equality for everyone. www.alison.com

The Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell: The Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell is a collaboration between Bank of America and Cornell University to deliver an online learning portal that provides women entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge and resources to build, manage, and scale a successful business. https://bofainstitute.cornell.edu/program.php

edX is the trusted platform for education and learning. Founded by Harvard and MIT, edX is home to more than 20 million learners, the majority of top-ranked universities in the world and industry-leading companies. As a global nonprofit, edX is transforming traditional education, removing the barriers of cost, location and access. Fulfilling the demand for people to learn on their own terms, edX is reimagining the possibilities of education, providing the highest-quality, stackable learning experiences including the groundbreaking online degrees and ceritifications with their MicroBachelors®, MicroMasters® and Professional Certificate® programs. www.edx.org

FutureLearn partners with leading universities and organizations around the world to offer our learners relevant, high quality courses across a huge range of topics. Whether you want to develop as a professional or discover a new hobby, there’s an online course for that. FutureLearn’s purpose is to transform access to education. https://www.futurelearn.com/

LinkedIn Learning [fka:Lynda.com] is a leading online learning platform that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Through a paid subscription, members have access to the LinkedIn Learning video library of over 3000 engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts. Many local libraries offer access to Lynda.com video courses free to library members. www.linkedin.com/learning

Mass.Gov Home Care Aide Training (PHCAST): The training encompasses 11 self-paced modules, is roughly 37 hours of training and can be taken on a laptop, tablet or phone and covers the topics and skills necessary to become a Homemaker. This is exciting because it now makes the training more accessible to a wide range of potential workers and allows them to take the course when it is convenient for them. This course is also the stepping stone to a career path that includes Personal Care Homemaker, nurse’s aide and other health care professions.  By making this accessible to all, we hope to bring more people into these important professions, increase the number of homemakers in the workforce and help alleviate the wait time for consumers needing this important service. During 2021 we will be translating the online PHCAST into both Spanish and Haitian Creole and also converting the next level training for PC Homemaker into the same online format in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Home Care Aide Training (PHCAST) | Mass.gov

MassHire Career Information System (MassHire CIS) is free on-line to all MA residents, and is designed to provide occupational and educational information to help people make better-informed career and school choices. It’s an online tool to help you explore careers and find the right education or training program once you have made your career decisions. MassHire CIS offers information on: career assessment and planning, occupations, the labor market, outlook, and educational options. www.masscis.intocareers.org

The MA Department of Higher Education grants a “categorical tuition waiver” to state residents age 60 and up [as well as veterans, active members of the military, Native Americans, and blind and disabled residents]. The value of this waiver is typically between 10% and 15% of the full cost of tuition, but the exact amount varies by school. The Office of Student Financial Assistance has a complete list of state schools and their current tuition waivers. Students are allowed to receive both a categorical tuition waiver and need-based financial aid if they qualify. However, the value of the two put together can’t be more than the total cost of tuition. www.mass.edu/osfa/programs/categorical.asp

Natick Service Council’s Brack Career Center Microsoft Word Classes: The Brack Career Center holds MS Word- Beginners and Advanced classes. Please check their website for upcoming offerings. Brack Center  Also, check out the Brack Center’s on demand Excel training videos: Beginner Excel –https://youtu.be/hs9v0G0UDRw,  Advanced Excel- https://youtu.be/xhKibvk1khU

SDM Foundation: We offer FREE individual and small group lessons. We focus on teaching people how to use technology, such as computers and the Internet, to enrich their lives. We also help small businesses and nonprofits learn to develop and maintain websites, social media, and other technology. SDM Foundation

Small Business Administration [SBA] helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Created in 1953, SBA continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations . The SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses. www.sba.gov

SCORE is America’s premier source of free business mentoring and education.
As a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), SCORE has helped more than 11 million entrepreneurs through mentoring, workshops and educational resources since 1964.  They offer tools, templates, tips, mentors, and workshops to support small businesses. www.score.org