Boston Private Industry Council

What Boston Private Industry Council does

The Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) is a nonprofit workforce development organization founded in 1979 that serves as Boston's designated MassHire Workforce Board (one of 16 statewide) and as the city's school-to-career intermediary. The organization operates three interconnected service lines: (1) School-to-Career programs that place Career Specialists inside every Boston Public Schools high school, run the Mayor's Summer Jobs Campaign, administer subsidized community-based employment, and deliver career exploration boot camps in coding, data science, robotics, and financial literacy; (2) High School Re-Engagement through the Re-Engagement Center (co-located at Madison Park Vocational Technical High School) and the Youth Transitions Task Force, credited with a 65% reduction in BPS annual dropout numbers from 1,872 (2006) to 650 (2023); and (3) Postsecondary Pathways including coaches stationed at Bunker Hill Community College and UMass Boston, plus the Opportunity Youth Collaborative.

PIC also charters and convenes two MassHire Career Centers (Boston ABCD and Downtown Boston at JVS) for adult job seekers, and operates industry-specific convenings — the Boston Healthcare Careers Consortium (with Beth Israel Lahey Health, Mass General Brigham, Tufts Medicine, Boston Medical Center, and Dana-Farber) and TechHire Boston (launched with SkillWorks in 2017). The organization does not develop technology products; its "technology" is the convening, placement, and coaching infrastructure that connects Boston's youth and adult job seekers to employer partners.

The revenue model is grant-dependent and public-private hybrid. Over 50% of revenue comes from corporate and foundation grants (Amazon, Bank of America, Liberty Mutual, Vertex Foundation, Salesforce, State Street, Boston Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Cummings, United Way, and others), with additional funding from federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) dollars distributed via the MassHire Boston Workforce Board, state funding through Commonwealth Corporation, and the City of Boston. Recent major federal captures include a $23M Good Jobs Challenge grant and a $22M US Department of Labor grant secured in August 2022. The customer base is split among (a) Boston Public Schools students and Opportunity Youth (primary), (b) adult job seekers served through MassHire Career Centers, (c) 60+ private-sector employers providing internships and summer jobs, and (d) 70+ community-based organizations hosting subsidized placements. Employer engagement is sales-led, driven by direct relationship management rather than marketing channels.

Name

Boston Private Industry Council

Legal name

Boston Private Industry Council

Website

https://bostonpic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Boston Private Industry Council is a 1979-founded nonprofit that serves as Boston's designated MassHire Workforce Board and school-to-career intermediary, placing Career Specialists in every Boston Public Schools high school, running the Mayor's Summer Jobs Campaign, operating two career centers, and convening the Healthcare Careers Consortium and TechHire Boston.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Employer-Led Workforce Partnerships & Sector Strategies (EDAAAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government & Public Sector Direct Hire (BPACAFAK), Workforce Support Services & Case Management (Coaching, Wraparound) (EDAAAOAK), Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific) (EDAMAKAA), Experiential Learning & Internships/Co-ops (EDALABAG)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Youth career programs
• Summer internships
• School-to-career programs
• Career center services

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The PIC receives federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding distributed through the MassHire Boston Workforce Board. The organization also receives grants from the City of Boston, state funding through Commonwealth Corporation, and federal grants such as the $23 million Good Jobs Challenge grant from the American Rescue Plan Act and $22 million grant secured by the Wu administration in August 2022.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Over 50% of PIC revenue is generated through private corporate and foundation grants. Major funders include Amazon, Angell Foundation, Bank of America Charitable Foundation, The Boston Foundation, Boston Children's Collaboration for Community Health, Charles Hayden Foundation, Cummings Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Salesforce Foundation, SkillWorks, State Street Foundation, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, and Vertex Foundation.
3. Individual Donations: The PIC accepts individual donations to support programmatic work. Since over 90% of PIC funding is dedicated to covering programmatic costs, donations directly support connecting BPS students to paid work experience, reconnecting high school dropouts to educational programming, or supporting under- or unemployed adults.
4. Corporate Partnership Campaign: The PIC manages a Corporate Partnership Campaign where companies make unrestricted contributions to support workforce development programs. Corporate partners help build a talent pipeline, advance racial equity, and support an engaged corporate sector while connecting thousands of Boston residents to educational and employment opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) serves as Boston's MassHire Workforce Board and school-to-career intermediary. It provides career services to Boston Public Schools high school students, summer and year-round internships at private sector employers, re-engagement programming for dropouts, postsecondary coaching, and operates two MassHire Career Centers serving adult job seekers and employer recruitment needs.

Product overview

The Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) operates as a unified workforce development platform offering three interconnected service areas: (1) School-to-Career services including High School Career Services with Career Specialists in BPS schools, Summer Jobs & Internships Program, Community-Based Employment, and Career Exploration & Job Readiness with boot camps; (2) High School Re-Engagement services including the Re-Engagement Center and Youth Transitions Task Force to address dropout recovery; (3) Postsecondary Pathways including Postsecondary Coaching at community colleges and the Opportunity Youth Collaborative. As Boston's MassHire Workforce Board, PIC also operates MassHire Career Centers for adult job seekers, convenes industry-specific partnerships (Healthcare Careers Consortium, TechHire Boston), administers workforce initiatives (Behavioral Health Expansion, Career Technical Initiative, Good Jobs Challenge), and produces research on education and workforce outcomes. The organization connects youth and adults to education and employment opportunities while building talent pipelines for Boston employers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MassHire Career Centers: Career centers providing employment services, job search assistance, career guidance, and training referrals for job seekers and employers in Boston.
• Workforce Development Committee
• Youth Council
• Boston Healthcare Careers Consortium
• TechHire Boston

Products and services

• High School Career Services Career Specialists stationed in Boston Public Schools high schools who provide job readiness programming, career exploration experiences, and connect students to internships and jobs in professional environments.
• Summer Jobs and Internships Program Annual summer internship program placing Boston Public Schools high school students at private sector companies and institutions in healthcare, finance, technology, life sciences, architecture, and professional services.
• Community-Based Employment Subsidized jobs and internships placing Boston Public Schools high school students with community-based organizations and public agencies, offering professional skill-building in familiar neighborhood environments.
• Career Exploration and Job Readiness Workshops and career exploration activities including individual coaching, resume writing, interviewing skills, career panels, job shadows, mock interviews, and financial literacy trainings. Includes vacation-week boot camps in coding, data science, 3D printing, robotics, architecture, and financial literacy.
• Re-Engagement Center Physical center located at Madison Park Vocational Technical High School that reaches out to dropped-out or chronically absent students, helps them re-enroll in schools or alternative programs, and provides personal support and follow-up services.
• Postsecondary Pathways Career coaching and college navigation support for Boston Public Schools graduates at Bunker Hill Community College and UMass Boston, helping students navigate the transition from high school to college and into employment.
• MassHire Career Centers Two American Job Centers (MassHire Boston ABCD Career Center and MassHire Downtown Boston Career Center) providing job search assistance, career guidance, resume writing, interview preparation, occupational information, and job fairs for job seekers, and recruitment services for employers.
• Boston Healthcare Careers Consortium Quarterly convening of healthcare employers, educators, and workforce partners to promote healthcare-related education and training opportunities that align with industry needs. Led by executive committee from Beth Israel Lahey Health, Boston Medical Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Mass General Brigham, and Tufts Medicine.
• TechHire Boston Regional strategy launched in partnership with SkillWorks to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive technology workforce in Boston by catalyzing employer engagement with tech education and training programs.
• High School Partnership Program connecting Boston Public Schools students to employer-paid, employer-supervised jobs and internships through partnership with Mayor Wu, Boston Public Schools, and local employers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Higher postsecondary enrollment rate (6.1 percentage points) for students participating in PIC private sector internships vs. comparison group
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 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

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime partner with robust high school internship program. 90 internship alumni have returned for employment. Nearly 50 BPS students participated in 7-week summer program. Provides comprehensive workforce development programming including mentorship, networking opportunities, and professional skills workshops.
• Beth Israel Lahey HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive committee member of Healthcare Careers Consortium. Workforce development leader providing input on healthcare education and training alignment with industry needs.
• Mass General BrighamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive committee member of Healthcare Careers Consortium. Major healthcare employer system including BWH, MGH, Faulkner, and Mass Eye and Ear hospitals providing internship and employment opportunities.
• Tufts MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive committee member of Healthcare Careers Consortium. Workforce development leader contributing to healthcare sector partnerships.
• Boston Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive committee member of Healthcare Careers Consortium and workforce development leader in healthcare sector.
• SkillWorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched TechHire Boston in 2017 as a partnership between PIC and SkillWorks. SkillWorks is a regional workforce development intermediary providing advisory board leadership and funding support.
• Mayor Michelle WuflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs chief elected official, Mayor Wu appoints the MassHire Boston Workforce Board. She championed the Mayor's Summer Jobs Campaign and guaranteed summer jobs for all BPS students who wanted one in 2024 State of the City address.
• Boston Public SchoolsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIC serves as school-to-career intermediary for BPS, providing career specialists in every high school. Partnership includes Re-Engagement Center co-located with BPS and Success Boston college completion initiative collaboration.
• Bunker Hill Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIC postsecondary coaching partner where coaches help BPS graduates navigate college transition. President Pam Eddinger serves on PIC Board. Two coaches provide career exploration and employment support.
• University of Massachusetts BostoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIC postsecondary coaching partner. Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco serves on PIC Board. Two coaches provide career coaching and college navigation support for BPS graduates.
• Boston Opportunity AgendacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-conveners of the Opportunity Youth Collaborative with PIC. Leads the Success Boston college completion initiative.
• Commonwealth CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency managing YouthWorks program subsidizing CBO wages, Behavioral Health Expansion Initiative, Career Technical Initiative, and Healthcare HUB programs that PIC participates in.
• MassHire Boston ABCD Career CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two MassHire Career Centers chartered by PIC. Located at 10 Malcom X Boulevard. Provides employment services for adult job seekers and recruitment services for employers.
• MassHire Downtown Boston Career CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two MassHire Career Centers chartered by PIC. Operated by JVS at 75 Federal Street. Provides employment services for adult job seekers and recruitment services for employers.
• Per Scholas Greater BostonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechHire Boston advisory board member providing IT workforce training and education perspective.
• Resilient CodersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechHire Boston advisory board member contributing to tech education and training programs.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of MassachusettsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechHire Boston advisory board member providing employer perspective on tech workforce needs.
• Boston PropertiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechHire Boston advisory board member providing tech sector employer perspective.
• MassHire Metro North Workforce BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning partner in Greater Boston Regional Workforce Planning Blueprint development alongside PIC and MassHire Metro South/West Workforce Board.
• MassHire Metro South/West Workforce BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning partner in Greater Boston Regional Workforce Planning Blueprint development. Also partner on Behavioral Health Expansion Initiative.
• Healey-Driscoll Administration Workforce Skills CabinetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComprised of Secretaries of Economic Development, Education, Labor and Workforce Development, and Health and Human Services. Relaunched regional planning process that PIC participates in.
• Jobs for the Future (JFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Fidelity Digital Jobs Capacity Grant leading efforts to expand digital career pathways in Greater Boston and Central MA.
• East Boston Social CentersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNonprofit organization hosting PIC interns in early childhood education programming. Provides hands-on experience for students working with children ages 2 months to 5 years.
• Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEnvironmental justice nonprofit where PIC interns work on Roxbury Environmental Empowerment Project addressing air quality and food justice through community gardens.
• Timothy Smith NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTechnology organization hosting Tech Apprentice program participants for coding and 3D modeling training through Boston Design Academy.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit providing job training and internships for opportunity youth aged 18-24, operating a comparable school-to-career model with employer partnerships across multiple US cities including Boston.
• SkillWorks: Boston-based regional workforce development intermediary co-convening TechHire Boston with PIC since 2017, focused on low-income workers and equity in workforce outcomes.
• JVS Boston: Boston-based workforce development nonprofit operating the MassHire Downtown Boston Career Center chartered by PIC; provides overlapping career services, refugee employment, and adult training services.
• Boston Opportunity Agenda: Boston-based cross-sector collaborative co-convening Opportunity Youth Collaborative with PIC, leading the Success Boston college completion initiative; shares youth-focused educational equity mission.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free IT workforce training to adults from underserved communities; sits on PIC's TechHire Boston advisory board and competes for similar tech talent pipeline funding.
• Bottom Line: Boston-based college access and success nonprofit serving low-income first-generation students from Boston Public Schools, with overlapping postsecondary coaching and degree completion mission.

Broad incumbents

• Commonwealth Corporation: Massachusetts quasi-state agency managing YouthWorks, Career Technical Initiative, and Healthcare HUB programs in which PIC participates. Oversees broader state workforce funding streams relevant to PIC's revenue base.
• Jobs for the Future (JFF): National nonprofit driving workforce transformation and economic mobility, currently partnering with PIC on the Fidelity Digital Jobs Capacity Grant. Operates at a broader systems level rather than direct service delivery.

Others

• National Skills Coalition: National policy and advocacy organization advancing skills training and equitable workforce policy; relevant context for federal WIOA funding and sector partnership policy frameworks PIC depends on.

Emerging players

• Resilient Coders: Boston-based nonprofit training young adults of color in software development; TechHire Boston advisory board member and potential partner/competitor for tech apprenticeship placements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/techhireboston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/34382
• Xx.com/bostonpic
• Facebookfacebook.com/bostonpic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Boston Private Industry Council