Best Job & Career in Massachusetts — 16 resources

About Job & Career for Women

Job and career resources for women run through the 2,400+ American Job Centers (AJCs) nationwide, the Department of Labor's Women's Bureau, and SBA Women's Business Centers. AJCs offer free job search, resume help, and WIOA-funded training (often

0,000+ in tuition for in-demand occupations). WANTO grants fund women entering nontraditional trades like construction, electrical, and HVAC. Registered Apprenticeships pay workers during training, and organizations like Chicago Women in Trades, Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW), and Dress for Success support entry and re-entry. For formerly incarcerated women, programs like the Center for Employment Opportunities provide transitional jobs. This directory includes AJCs, WBCs, apprenticeships, and women-focused workforce programs.

Job & Career in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Probate and Family Courts handle divorce, custody, paternity, and child support in each of its 14 counties. The Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement Division runs enforcement. Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Cambridge, and Lowell are the largest cities. Greater Boston Legal Services, Community Legal Aid, Volunteer Lawyers Project, and Jane Doe Inc. (MA DV/SA coalition) serve women.

16 Resources

1. Year Up Greater Boston — Free

Year Up Greater Boston at 93 Summer Street runs a free one-year intensive program for young adults 18-29 combining six months of professional skills training with a paid six-month corporate internship at companies like State Street, JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Boston Children's Hospital. Most students earn an associate degree credit through partnership with Bunker Hill Community College. Call 617-542-1533 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm to apply.

617-542-1533 · 93 Summer St, Boston, MA 02110 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

2. Women's Institute for Housing and Economic Development — Free

WIHED at 14 Beacon Street in Boston provides technical assistance to women-led affordable housing and community development nonprofits across Massachusetts, and runs workforce training programs targeting Massachusetts women in real estate development and property management. Call 617-234-9956 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm for program inquiries. Free for participating organizations and individuals.

617-234-9956 · 14 Beacon St, Suite 514, Boston, MA 02108 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

3. JVS Boston — Career Services for Women — Free

JVS Boston at 75 Federal Street provides free workforce training, career coaching, ESOL, and adult education to over 16,000 Boston-area women and men each year, with a particular focus on immigrant and refugee women. Programs include healthcare careers, IT, financial services, and culinary training. Call 617-399-3100 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm; services are open to people of all faiths.

617-399-3100 · 75 Federal St, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02110 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website

4. Operation ABLE of Greater Boston — Free

Operation ABLE at 174 Portland Street in Boston specializes in employment services for Massachusetts women 45+ — career coaching, free training in IT and customer service, computer literacy, and job placement. Particularly valuable for mothers re-entering the workforce after years of caregiving. Call 617-542-4180 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Free for eligible participants.

617-542-4180 · 174 Portland St, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02114 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

5. Goodwill Industries of Massachusetts — Free

Morgan Memorial Goodwill at 1010 Harrison Avenue in Roxbury runs the Goodwill of Massachusetts workforce development programs — job training in retail, hospitality, manufacturing, and healthcare; career navigation; and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act partnership with MassHire. Call 617-445-1010 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm. Most programs free for income-eligible Massachusetts women.

617-445-1010 · 1010 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02119 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm

6. CareerPoint Springfield — Free

CareerPoint at 95 Liberty Street in Springfield is the MassHire Hampden County One-Stop Career Center, offering free job search, resume help, WIOA-funded training scholarships, and connections to Springfield-area employers. Walk-ins and appointments both available. Call 413-858-2800 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm. Free for Massachusetts job seekers.

413-858-2800 · 95 Liberty St, Springfield, MA 01103 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website

7. CareerOneStop — Free

CareerOneStop is the US Department of Labor's career portal with a locator for the 29 MassHire American Job Centers (formerly One-Stop Career Centers) across Massachusetts. Mothers can use the site's free resume builder, occupation profiles, and Massachusetts wage data before walking into a local center. Free, no login required.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

8. America's Job Centers — Free

AJC network includes Massachusetts's 29 MassHire centers — CareerPoint Springfield, MassHire Boston, MassHire Metro North, MassHire Greater Lowell, MassHire Cape and Islands, and others — providing free in-person career help, WIOA training referrals, and job search support. Locator at careeronestop.org. Free for Massachusetts residents.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

9. DOL Women's Bureau — Free

DOL's Women's Bureau Region 1 office covers Massachusetts and the rest of New England, publishing research on Massachusetts wage gap, occupational segregation, and women's labor force participation. Useful for Massachusetts mothers researching equity issues or building a pay-negotiation case. Free public resources.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

10. Dress for Success — Free

Dress for Success operates two Massachusetts affiliates — Dress for Success Boston (Portland Street) and Dress for Success Worcester — providing free interview-appropriate clothing, the Going Places Network peer career coaching, and the Professional Women's Group continuing-development community. Free for Massachusetts women referred from MassHire, DTA, or community partners.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

11. Bottomless Closet — Free

Bottomless Closet provides free interview-appropriate clothing and career development services to women re-entering the workforce. While headquartered in NYC, the program serves Boston-area women through partnership referrals. Useful for Massachusetts mothers who can't access Dress for Success Boston or Worcester due to schedule. Free for referred women.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

12. Year Up — Free

Year Up's national one-year program operates in Massachusetts through Year Up Greater Boston (93 Summer Street) and Year Up Worcester. Free for participants 18-29; participants earn a stipend during training and a paid corporate internship. Particularly valuable for young Massachusetts mothers and young women without college degrees.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

13. Goodwill Career Services — Free

Goodwill operates two Massachusetts entities — Morgan Memorial Goodwill (eastern Massachusetts) and Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires & Southern Vermont (Western MA) — providing free job training, career counseling, and placement assistance. Use goodwill.org's locator to find the nearest Massachusetts career center.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

14. Women Employed — Free

Women Employed is an advocacy and direct-service organization focused on women's economic mobility — career navigation, education access advocacy, and policy work on equal pay and paid leave. Particularly relevant in Massachusetts where state laws on equal pay (MGL c. 149 §105A) and paid family leave (MGL c. 175M) lead the nation. Free public resources.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

15. SCORE — Free Business Mentors — Free

SCORE Boston, SCORE Worcester, and SCORE Cape Cod & the Islands provide free one-on-one mentoring for Massachusetts women starting or growing a business. Mentors are retired and active business owners volunteering their expertise. Especially useful alongside Massachusetts SBA resources and the Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) in Boston and Springfield. Free.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

16. SBA Office of Women's Business Ownership — Free

SBA's New England regional office at 10 Causeway Street in Boston supports Massachusetts women entrepreneurs through the Massachusetts SBDC, Women's Business Centers (Center for Women & Enterprise in Boston and Western Massachusetts), and SBA-backed lending programs. Free public resources and free counseling through partner organizations.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many job & career resources are in Massachusetts?
Women's Corner tracks 16 job & career resources for women in Massachusetts.
Are job & career resources in Massachusetts free?
16 of the 16 listed job & career resources in Massachusetts are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in Massachusetts have job & career resources?
Listings span cities including Boston, Springfield.
What are some examples of job & career resources in Massachusetts?
Featured entries include Year Up Greater Boston, Women's Institute for Housing and Economic Development, JVS Boston — Career Services for Women, Operation ABLE of Greater Boston, Goodwill Industries of Massachusetts.
Do these listings include phone numbers?
6 of 16 Massachusetts job & career listings include phone numbers.
Where do I get free job training?
Your local American Job Center (find at CareerOneStop.org or call 1-877-872-5627) offers free training, resume help, and job placement through the WIOA program. Goodwill, Dress for Success, and Bottomless Closet provide job-readiness, interview clothing, and coaching. Community colleges run short-term certificate programs (CNA, medical billing, IT) under
,000 that lead to immediate jobs.
Are there programs that hire single mothers?
Yes. Many employers partner with Goodwill, YWCA, and Workforce Boards on second-chance and single-mom hiring tracks — childcare assistance, flexible schedules, and tuition reimbursement included. Look at 'Family Forward NC' style state initiatives, certified Family-Friendly employers, and federal contractors (required to support working parents). Healthcare and logistics are the fastest-growing single-mom-friendly fields.
How do I write a resume after years out of the workforce?
Skip the chronological format — use a functional or hybrid resume that leads with skills (organization, budgeting, time management, problem-solving from caregiving counts). Reframe volunteer work, PTA, and freelance work as professional experience. Free help: American Job Centers, Dress for Success Career Center, LinkedIn's free resume builder, and the SBA Women's Business Centers.
What if I have a criminal record?
You still qualify for most jobs — Ban-the-Box laws in 37 states delay background questions until later in hiring. Federal contractors can't ask about records on the initial application. The Federal Bonding Program insures employers against loss for hiring you. Many states allow expungement of certain records after a waiting period — ask legal aid about clearing your record.