Mount Wachusett Community College Awarded $100,000 Grant To Launch Behavioral Health Apprenticeship Program

Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) has been awarded a $100,000 Behavioral Health Apprenticeship Degree Program Grant from Accelerate The Future’s Behavioral Health Workforce Institute to develop an innovative apprenticeship pathway that will prepare students for careers in behavioral health while helping address the growing workforce shortage across Massachusetts.

The two-year grant will support the planning and development of a Behavioral Health Apprenticeship Degree Program, with the first student cohort expected to begin in fall 2027. The program will combine classroom instruction with paid, employer-based learning experiences and structured mentorship, creating a flexible “learn-and-earn” pathway that prepare students for careers in behavioral health while meeting regional workforce needs.

“This grant represents an important investment in both our students and the future of behavioral healthcare in North Central Massachusetts,” said MWCC President James Vander Hooven. “By partnering with employers to create meaningful learn-and-earn opportunities, we will help students gain the education, skills, and experience needed to enter this essential profession while helping meet a critical workforce need.”

Building on MWCC’s established Human Services certificate and associate degree programs, the new apprenticeship pathway will align academic coursework with employer needs and hands-on workplace training. Students will benefit from flexible course formats, including online, hybrid, evening, and accelerated options, as well as clear transfer pathways to bachelor’s degree programs in fields such as social work, psychology, and human services.

“Behavioral health professionals play a vital role in supporting individuals, families, and communities, yet employers across the Commonwealth continue to face significant workforce shortages,” said Laurie Occhipinti, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences and Education at MWCC. “This grant gives us the opportunity to build an innovative apprenticeship pathway that allows students to earn their degree while gaining meaningful, hands-on experience with local employers. By combining classroom learning with paid work-based training and mentorship, we are preparing graduates to enter the workforce with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make an immediate impact while creating a sustainable talent pipeline for our regional behavioral health partners.”

The apprenticeship program is designed to strengthen and diversify Massachusetts’ behavioral health workforce while expanding educational and career opportunities for students. During the two-year planning period, MWCC will develop a sustainable program model that integrates academic instruction with on-the-job learning and mentorship, helping ensure graduates are prepared to meet the growing demand for behavioral health professionals.

About the Behavioral Health Workforce Institute

BHWI’s mission is to expand, diversify, and empower the behavioral health workforce by disrupting educational inequities and systemic barriers through innovative, employer‑embedded learning pathways across higher education. Through strategic partnerships between employers and educators, BHWI builds accessible career pathways, promotes advancement, and strengthens a resilient workforce that reflects and meets the diverse needs of our communities. BHWI was launched through catalytic seed funding from Accelerate The Future, whose investment made it possible to bring this vision from concept to reality.