Policy Center
Research, events, and articles from the MassINC Policy Center, including the Gateway Cities Innovation Institute.
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Early College Life Sciences Pathways
Expanding Early College access and strengthening career-connected learning are critical to ensuring Massachusetts maintains a competitive, skilled workforce. This report outlines four key objectives to guide an expansion strategy that state leaders are currently developing.
March 3, 2025
- Early college is Massachusetts’ most systemic and impactful effort to increase college access and success. Marrying this educational equity strategy with industry-led efforts to grow the life sciences workforce will deliver stronger results on both fronts.
- Building robust Early College life sciences pathways is a difficult and complex undertaking that requires strong industry involvement. At present, the industry has very little awareness of the state’s Early College strategy, and there has been no formal effort to engage the sector in the state’s ambitious Early College initiative.
- With the Massachusetts Early College Initiative conducting its first strategic plan and the state’s Life Sciences 3.0 economic development package signed into law, the coming months will be decisive. The actions leaders take to enable the growth of Early College life sciences pathways will heavily influence the ability of Massachusetts students to participate fully in this cutting-edge industry for years to come.
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Opening the Doors to the Jobs of the Future
Expanding Early College access and strengthening career-connected learning are critical to ensuring Massachusetts maintains a competitive, skilled workforce, and this report outlines four key objectives to guide the state’s expansion strategy.
March 3, 2025
- Massachusetts must significantly expand Early College programs to reach more low-income students, as current enrollment remains too limited to make a substantial impact. The state should prioritize high-potential high schools and utilize hybrid or online learning models to ensure accessibility, particularly for students in rural areas.
- Current Early College programs lack structured connections to high-demand industries like health and STEM. A more robust program should integrate specialized advising, career development experiences, and credit accumulation targets, while also aligning Early College with Innovation and Career Pathway (ICP) programs.
- Expanding Early College to middle-income students can create more diverse learning environments, strengthen urban schools, and support high school redesign in smaller districts. Targeted strategies include regional partnerships, urban magnet schools, and enrollment goals that promote integration in Boston and the Gateway Cities.
- Sustainable Early College expansion will require clear governance structures, accountability measures, and administrative capacity. Some necessary policy changes will need to be addressed through board decisions, legislation, and budget appropriations.
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Gateway Cities Journal: We got the keys — unlocking housing production in Gateway Cities
The Unlocking Housing Production Commission’s newly released report offers bold recommendations to tackle housing barriers while addressing key challenges that have long hindered development in Gateway Cities.
February 27, 2025
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Event Recap: School Centered Neighborhood Development
February 20, 2025
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Gateway Cities Journal: A Big Idea Succeeds — Free Transit Outside Boston
Massachusetts’ test of fare-free regional transit is proving to be a game-changer, with skyrocketing ridership, economic benefits, and improved accessibility for the state’s most vulnerable residents.
February 12, 2025
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Policy Center recommends rule changes to facilitate building renovations
Public comment takes a deeper dive into the “30% Rule” and its impact on property owners in Gateway Cities.
December 16, 2024
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Gateway Cities Journal: Legislature Establishes Downtown Vitality Fund
Gateway City leaders achieved an important victory recently when the Legislature established a Downtown Vitality Fund with a bond authorization of $9.5 million.
December 6, 2024
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Greg Bialecki: A remembrance
Joe Kriesberg, the CEO of MassINC, and Andre Leroux, Program Director for the Gateway Cities Innovation Institute, were longtime colleagues of Greg Bialecki. They wrote this tribute upon his passing.
November 26, 2024
