JVS NEWS: FEBRUARY 2016 
Jerry Rubin, JVS President & CEO (second from left), served on the  Governor's  Chronic  Unemployment 
Task Force with nonprofit and corporate leaders throughout the Boston area.
A BIG MONTH FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
State budget invests $5 million in job training and new study released

Recently, Gov. Baker announced a $5 million investment in the state's workforce development system. The Governor's task force (pictured above) completed research on chronic unemployment and submitted recommendations that influenced this investment. JVS President & CEO, Jerry Rubin, was proud to serve on this task force. 

Another key piece of research was released in January by the Job Training Alliance (JTA), whose study found that job training programs have numerous economic impacts - including raising the wages of program graduates by 65%. JVS is a JTA member, and our Certified Nursing Assistant and Pharmacy Technician Training programs were part of the published study. In addition, JVS Vice President, Amy Nishman, serves on the Executive Team with JTA. 
CHAMPION FOR JOB TRAINING

Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel's Executive Chef Joe Chaves was a fundamental part of the JVS Food Service Training program.  For over 15 years he championed this program that provides  training and employment opportunities to refugees who have resettled in Boston. In that time, Chef Chaves mentored over 200 program participants, guiding them in their new skills. 

Chef Chaves passed away unexpectedly in December, and we dedicated our recent program graduation ceremony to him and honored the impact he had on the lives of our graduates. This was the 35th graduating class from the program, our longest running training which began in partnership with the Marriott Long Wharf in 1988. Chef Chaves' legacy continues with the hundreds of program graduates who were given a new start in his kitchen. 
Volunteer Opportunity

Can you help adult students with writing assignments? Math problems? Social studies and science learning? We need many volunteers to support the success of the students in our  Adult Diploma Program . To learn more about these opportunities, and others, visit our Volunteer Match page .
For the second year in a row, JVS is part of the Boston Tax Help Coalition providing free, high quality tax preparation to households with an income of $54,000 or less. Our tax site will ensure individuals that qualify receive their EITC, child tax credits and other premium tax credits. 

The tax site is a service offered through JVS's Financial Opportunity Center. For more information about this initiative, visit www.bostontaxhelp.org .
FACES OF JVS: Julio Fred
Julio is the manager of the our Pharmacy Technician Training program. This program helps participants start their careers in the medical field through instruction and preparation for the national certification exam. Before coming to JVS, he worked in pharmacies for over 10 years, gaining increased responsibilities and experience in regional training. 

Outside of the office, he likes to play sports and watch sports (especially the Celtics). He can also be found on the golf course, though he claims that golf is not a sport.