Jennifer James
Undersecretary for Workforce Development; Director of the Workforce Skills Cabinet, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

Ms. James serves as the Undersecretary of Workforce Development for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The Secretariat is responsible for development and oversight of major state and federal workforce development programs and funding streams. The public workforce system includes 16 Workforce Development Boards and 24+ MassHire Career Centers.  Within this role, she designs and directs major initiatives on behalf of the Administration, including the Workforce Skills Cabinet on behalf of the Administration. The Workforce Skills Cabinet develops signature initiatives through policy and practice to align our education, workforce and economic systems to address job growth and hiring demand in regions across the state.  The Cabinet is made up of the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development (chair), Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Housing and Economic Development. 

Prior to this post, Jennifer served as the Deputy Director at the state’s Department of Workforce Development beginning in 2001 after earning a master’s degree in Urban Development and City Planning with a concentration in Labor Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Prior to graduate work, Jennifer managed projects related to central city economic development and affordable housing at a community development corporation in Roxbury, MA.  In addition, she developed research on the workforce needs of high growth companies in Cambridge, MA through the Economic Development department at the City of Cambridge.  She received an undergraduate degree in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire.