Catholic Charities Boston Receives State Workforce Development Grant for IT, Cybersecurity Training Program

Catholic Charities Boston’s IT and Cybersecurity training program is among 12 initiatives across Massachusetts that recently received a state grant to continue efforts to close the skills gap and increase access to well-paying jobs for those unemployed and underemployed in the Commonwealth. 

The program, based at El Centro, will receive $500,000 through the Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success Grants, which the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development funds.  

This is the third time Catholic Charities Boston has received a Donnelly Workforce Success Grant for its IT and Cybersecurity program. This iteration of the grant will help enhance training and placement services for students, including support for paid fellowships and the hiring of a job developer for the program. 

“We are very glad and excited to have received this grant to further develop the program,” said Marianna Geraskina, Director of Education at El Centro. “This program is very unique in the region and is faithful to Catholic Charities’ mission to help our students move to self-sufficiency.” 

The IT and Cybersecurity program will begin its sixth year in September 2026. Offered in partnership with the Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology, the year-long program is worth 15 college credits and also includes internationally recognized industry certifications.  

Students who have gone through the program range from those with no IT or cybersecurity background to midcareer professionals seeking to boost their job prospects to immigrants starting a new life in the United States. 

“We are very proud of our services,” said Geraskina. “We give people the opportunity for career exploration and to potentially pursue a job that allows them to realize their talents.” 

Geraskina noted that every year more than 60 graduates of the program continue to college. Many have earned their associate and bachelor’s degrees in various fields, with alumni securing jobs in industry, non-profits, and government. Some students have even become cybersecurity instructors.   

Geraskina and Veronica Robson, Director of Operations at El Centro, attended an announcement event for the grant award at the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce in Hyannis. 

“Workforce Success Grants offer an effective and proven tool for training providers to prepare skilled talent and for employers to access a skilled talent pool,” said Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones. “By partnering with industry, training providers, and regional organizations, we’re creating talent pipelines for occupations that are essential to Massachusetts’ economy. From health care to education to technology and beyond, these investments will help employers fill critical positions and enable more residents to build rewarding careers in regions across Massachusetts.”