JVS Boston

What JVS Boston does

JVS Boston (legal name: Jewish Vocational Service) is a 501(c)(3) nonsectarian nonprofit founded in 1938 in Boston, Massachusetts, operating as one of the largest community-based providers of adult education and workforce development services in Greater Boston. The organization serves job seekers from over 110 client nations speaking 63+ languages through a portfolio of free programs spanning healthcare, biotechnology, trades, hospitality, and early childhood education. In 2025 JVS reported serving approximately 14,000 individuals, including 4,800 intensive services enrollments and 1,000 ESOL enrollments, with 1,878 documented job placements in 2023 and 80% annual placement rates for refugee/immigrant participants.

The core "product surface" is a service delivery model rather than a software platform. Programs include: (1) vocational training programs of 4-23 weeks duration (CNA, Patient Care Technician, Pharmacy Technician, Central Sterile Processing, BioMAP biotech manufacturing, HVAC, heat pump specialty, carpentry, maintenance technician, Early Childhood Education, Direct Care Worker); (2) the Bridges to College & Careers Biotech pathway (23 weeks at JVS + 11 months at Quincy College); (3) English 2 Employment (E2E Rapid and E2E Career Advancement) for refugees and immigrants; (4) Adult Education (ESOL, GED prep); (5) Career Services (coaching, job fairs, placement); (6) Disability Services including the Connections program for Jewish adults with disabilities; (7) Financial Education Programs (12-18 month financial coaching, VITA tax preparation for households under $70K); and (8) Jewish Community Services (JREP, Project EM). For employers, JVS operates the Job Quality Benchmarking Index (JQBI), a proprietary five-pillar survey tool benchmarking wages, benefits, scheduling, career ladders, and supportive environment against regional competitors.

Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropy and grants rather than participant fees. All job-seeker services are free; employer services have variable partnership pricing. The organization disclosed an annual operating budget of $26 million under CEO Kira Khazatsky. Funding sources include federal ARPA grants ($10M, June 2022), state-administered Healey-Driscoll Administration grants ($900K, February 2026), Cummings Foundation ($750K over 10 years, 2024), Combined Jewish Philanthropies, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, SkillWorks (Boston Foundation), Capital One, Santander, TD Bank, LISC, and individual donations structured around giving societies ($1,000+ Builder's Society; $10,000+ Ida Hoos Founders Society; planned giving via The 1938 Society). No proprietary software, AI/ML systems, patents, or trademarks are disclosed.

Name

JVS Boston

Legal name

Jewish Vocational Service

Website

https://jvs-boston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

JVS Boston is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization in Greater Boston providing free job training, adult education, career coaching, and financial services to job seekers, while offering workforce pipeline, Workplace ESOL, and the Job Quality Benchmarking Index to employer partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Apprenticeship Training (611513), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM), Workforce Support Services & Case Management (Coaching, Wraparound) (EDAAAOAK), Adult Learner Support Services (Advising, Case Management, Wraparound Supports) (EDAAABAJ), Integrated Education & Training (IET) / Contextualized ABE (Workforce-Linked) (EDAAAAAK), Credit Recovery & Alternative Adult High School (EDAAABAC), Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC), High School Equivalency (GED/HiSET/TASC) Preparation (EDANAJAG)

Keywords

• Workforce development
• Adult education
• Vocational training
• Career coaching
• ESOL programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: JVS Boston operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit primarily funded through grants from foundations (Cummings Foundation $750,000 over 10 years, SkillWorks, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, United Way of Massachusetts Bay) and corporate partners.
2. Individual Donations: Individual giving through The Builder's Society ($1,000+ annually), Ida Hoos Founders Society ($10,000+ annually), planned giving through The 1938 Society, and one-time donations. Matching gift program available through employers.
3. Government Grants: Federal and state government funding including ARPA grants ($10 million for equitable employment strategy), Healey-Driscoll Administration grants ($900,000 for disability employment programs), administered through Commonwealth Corporation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

JVS Boston delivers free job training, adult education, vocational certification, career coaching, and financial education to job seekers in Greater Boston, while providing employers with customized workforce development, recruitment, outplacement, and the proprietary Job Quality Benchmarking Index (JQBI). Programs span healthcare, biotechnology, trades, hospitality, and early childhood education sectors, with dedicated services for refugees, immigrants, and adults with disabilities.

Product overview

JVS Boston is one of the largest community-based providers of adult education and workforce development services in Greater Boston, operating as a $26 million nonprofit organization that offers free programs to job seekers and employers. The organization provides a comprehensive portfolio of services organized into seven core areas: Job Training Programs (healthcare, biotech, trades, hospitality sectors), Adult Education Programs (ESOL, GED preparation), Career Services (coaching, placement, job fairs), Disability Services (Connections program for Jewish adults with disabilities), Financial Education Programs (coaching, VITA tax prep), Jewish Community Services (JREP, Project EM), and Refugee & Immigrant Employment Programs (English 2 Employment). For employers, JVS offers partnership services including the Job Quality Benchmarking Index (JQBI) platform, Workplace ESOL training, recruitment, and outplacement support. Programs are offered free of charge to participants, funded through philanthropy and grants including a $10M ARPA grant and $900,000 Healey-Driscoll Administration grant for disability services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jewish Re-Employment Program (JREP): Free career coaching and resources to job seekers in the Greater Boston Jewish community through a partnership with Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP).
• Job Quality Benchmarking Index (JQBI)
• English 2 Employment

Products and services

• Job Training Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,000 individuals served in 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered foundational, core and minor.

• Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP)foundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundational partner - CJP supported JVS's formation in 1938 to help refugees from Austria and Germany. Continues as committed partner with specific connection to Jewish community services.
• United Way of Massachusetts BaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor philanthropic partner funding workforce development. Partners with 124 organizations in effort to eradicate poverty and economic injustice. Joint advocacy and community initiatives.
• UMass Memorial HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner6-week paid Patient Care Technician training program in Worcester, MA. Open to UMass Memorial staff and their referred community members. Guaranteed job placement upon completion at $18.92-$22.92/hour.
• ArLabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHands-on training lab partner for healthcare skills programs including CNA, Patient Care Technician, and Central Sterile Processing. Students complete clinical experience at ArLab facilities.
• Quincy CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBridge program partner for biotechnology pathway. JVS students complete 23-week preparation program then enroll in Quincy College's 11-month Biotechnology and Good Manufacturing Practices Certificate program.
• Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for HVAC and maintenance technician training. Offers 6-month HVAC program with 2,000 credit hours toward license and 5-week maintenance technician training at their Boston location.
• MassHire Downtown BostoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer center partnership providing JVS clients access to MassHire services, job fairs, webinars, and career center facilities. Joint outplacement and immigration resource services.
• Urban College of BostonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Early Childhood Education training program. Participants enroll in 3-credit Child Growth & Development course at Urban College as part of the ECE program.
• Madison Park Technical Vocational High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarpentry training program location near Roxbury Crossing MBTA station.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Year Up: Year Up is a national nonprofit workforce development organization serving low-income young adults with training and corporate placement, analogous to JVS's adult education, vocational training, and employer partnership model. Both organizations run intensive skills programs with employer-paid pathways into major employers.
• Per Scholas: Per Scholas provides tuition-free tech and trades training for adults from underserved communities across multiple cities, matching JVS's free, employer-aligned training and career services model. Both serve adults needing vocational certifications to access middle-skill careers.
• Boston Private Industry Council (PIC): Boston PIC is a Greater Boston workforce intermediary connecting employers and young adults to career pathways, directly overlapping JVS's employer partnership and job placement work in the same geography and sectors.
• International Institute of New England (IINE): IINE provides refugee and immigrant services including workforce training and English language learning across Massachusetts, overlapping directly with JVS's English 2 Employment and refugee/immigrant employment programs.
• Asian American Civic Center / AACA Boston: Asian American Civic Center provides adult education, ESOL, and workforce training for immigrants in Greater Boston, directly parallel to JVS's ESOL, adult education, and job placement offerings.
• Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Boston: JF&CS provides career services, disabilities services, and refugee/immigrant support in Greater Boston, overlapping JVS's Jewish Re-Employment Program (JREP), Connections disability program, and immigrant employment services.

Broad incumbents

• MassHire (Massachusetts Workforce System): MassHire is the publicly-funded Massachusetts state workforce development system operating career centers across the state, broader than JVS's nonprofit-only scope but with overlapping employer services and job placement offerings. JVS partners with MassHire Downtown Boston.
• ResCare Workforce Services: ResCare is a for-profit workforce services provider operating nationally, providing employment placement, training, and supported employment — overlapping JVS's career services and disability employment offerings at scale.
• Goodwill Industries of Greater Boston and Northern New England: Goodwill is a large, established national nonprofit providing job training, ESOL, and career services for adults with barriers to employment, broadly comparable to JVS's community-based adult education and workforce development model.

Others

• SkillWorks (Boston Foundation): SkillWorks is a Boston Foundation-led funder collaborative that invests in workforce providers, including JVS itself; it operates adjacent to JVS as a funder/convener rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JVSBoston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jvs-boston
• Instagraminstagram.com/jvsboston
• TikToktiktok.com/@jvsboston

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JVS Boston