FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2026
CONTACT
Amanda Powers
2nd Street
(518) 928-9888
apowers301@gmail.com
Award is part of Commonwealth’s $2.25 million in total grant funds
PITTSFIELD, MA — Second Street Second Chances (“2nd Street”) has received an $84,712 Re-entry Workforce Development Demonstration grant from the Healey-Driscoll Administration, marking the second consecutive year the organization has received the grant award. The grant is part of a total of $2.25 million funded by the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) to train formerly incarcerated individuals. This latest round of funding is administered by Commonwealth Corporation, a quasi-public agency within EOLWD.
The grants were awarded to 12 organizations, including 2nd Street, to provide job training, career support and employment opportunities to 445 formerly incarcerated individuals returning to their communities. These individuals will be connected with employers across a variety of industries, including construction, manufacturing, culinary and hospitality, health care, transportation and other fields.
2nd Street will partner with the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office to offer a training program to 12 returning citizens, with a focus on the advanced manufacturing and engineering industry. Successful program graduates will be placed in manufacturing and welding roles at Onyx Specialty Papers and Hi-Tech Mold and Tool. Berkshire Community College and MassHire Berkshire Career Center will help provide training for the participants.
2nd Street Executive Director Lindsay Cornwell said, “I speak for all of us at 2nd Street when I say we are so grateful for this grant award, which significantly boosts our ability to offer meaningful opportunities to Berkshire County citizens returning to the workforce. With this investment, we can offer Advanced Manufacturing and Welding certification to successful graduates, giving them useful and marketable skills that lead the path to employment. I send our sincere thanks to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development for again recognizing the importance of this work and for their commitment to creating equitable opportunities for formerly incarcerated persons.”
Since January 2023, the Healey-Driscoll Administration, in partnership with Commonwealth Corporation, has awarded nearly $10 million in Re-Entry Workforce Development Demonstration Program grants to connect formerly incarcerated individuals across Massachusetts with job training, career support, and employment opportunities. These investments are projected to serve more than 1,400 individuals as they re-enter their communities.
“When people return to their communities, they should have a real opportunity to get a good job, support their families and build a stable future,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These grants connect people with the training and experience they need to succeed and with employers that are ready to hire.” The grant program aims to improve workforce outcomes for individuals returning to their communities after incarceration. Program participants receive on-the-job training from local organizations in industries such as clean energy, hospitality, and manufacturing.
About 2nd Street
Second Street Second Chances, Inc., better known as 2nd Street, supports formerly incarcerated persons in Berkshire County and connects them with the tools, programs and support they need to successfully reenter their community. 2nd Street is committed to treating formerly incarcerated individuals with respect and encouragement; providing them with job readiness skills and access to employment opportunities; preparing them to become productive and contributing citizens; and educating and advocating for communities to embrace them as such. Services and referrals include medical and mental health resources, substance use disorder services, financial resources and literacy, transportation, family reunification, housing, job training and employment, and legal services. Visit 2nd Street at www.2nd-street.org.