The Boston Workforce Development Initiative

In 2003, the IINE received a pivotal grant from the Boston Foundation as part of the Boston Workforce Development Initiative, the largest public-private investment in workforce development in the city’s history. This grant enabled IINE to collaborate with Hilton Hotels to expand its pre-employment training programs, offering skill upgrades, case management, and career counseling to both new participants and incumbent workers. The partnership addressed the hospitality industry’s high turnover rates by preparing workers for advancement, thereby improving service quality and employee retention. Building on this success, IINE later expanded its workforce development model to include training programs in other high-demand sectors such as healthcare, facilities maintenance, and construction, broadening its impact and opening new pathways to economic mobility for underserved communities.