
The Neighborhood Jobs Trust (NJT) was created in 1987 to ensure that Boston’s low- and moderate-income residents directly benefit from large-scale real estate development in their city. The NJT collects fees from developers to fund jobs, job training, and related services throughout the city of Boston.
How NJT Works
Developers of commercial projects in Boston in excess of 100,000 square feet are required to pay “linkage fees,” based on the square footage of their project, into the trust. Currently, the linkage fee rate is $1.78 per square foot. Developers have two options when they pay their linkage fees into the trust. They can designate the money toward 1) jobs creation or 2) job contribution. Jobs creation money funds job training for workers to be employed, on a permanent basis, at the developer’s project-site. Jobs contribution money is paid into the trust to be managed by the NJT trustees to residents’ benefit.
The three trustees of the Neighborhood Jobs Trust are responsible for setting the trust’s funding priorities according to residents’ needs and current labor market conditions. The trustees, who meet quarterly, are City Councillor Frank Baker, OWD Director Trinh Nguyen, and Collector-Treasurer Emme Handy. The dispersal of NJT funds, as well as program evaluation and support, is administered by the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development.
NJT-Funded Programs
NJT-funded programs prepare workers for such diverse industries as hospitality, banking and finance, web coding, locksmithing, and certified nursing assistance. The complete list of grantees can be found on our Who We Fund page, under Neighborhood Jobs Trust.
The Tuition-Free Community College Plan, which launched in June 2016, also draws on NJT funding. The plan pays for up to three years of community college tuition and mandatory fees for income-eligible Boston Public Schools graduates. Research shows that an associate’s degree holder is nearly twice as likely to earn at least $35,000 a year as someone with only a high school degree.
Outcomes
NJT’s latest impact report, covering 2017-2018, shows that NJT-funded programs made a profound economic impact on city residents. More than 2,000 Bostonians accessed job training and educat

ion programs thanks to NJT. Upon job placement, graduates of training programs funded through NJT’s request for proposals (RFP) earned an average wage of $15.37 per hour – a figure above the city’s living wage – with 76% earning benefits as well.
While NJT-funded programs served residents from every neighborhood in Boston, the report found that 69% lived in Dorchester, Roxbury, East Boston, or Mattapan, areas identified as having especially high pockets of unemployment. Among participants, 88% were people of color and 38% were non-native English speakers.
Further Reading
Graduates of Boston’s Job-Training Programs See Wages Double
Boston.com, July 27, 2016
Report Shows Job Trust Impact
Bay State Banner, July 27, 2016
Gains Reported for Job Training Programs
BNN News, July 13, 2016
Mayor Walsh to Pursue Increase in Linkage
June 12, 2018
Over 2,300 Boston Residents Benefit from Job Training and Education through Neighborhood Jobs Trust
Jan. 29, 2018
Report Shows Neighborhood Jobs Trust Leads to Jobs, Increased Incomes
July 6, 2016
Neighborhood Jobs Trust Distributes $1.2 Million in Grants to Community Organizations
March 3, 2016
$2.4 million in NJT funds goes to IT/tech training and emergency workforce support
June 15, 2020
Neighborhood Jobs Trust Disburses $1.35 Million to Train Boston's Low-Income Job-Seekers
Nov. 29, 2019
NJT-Funded Training and Education Benefit 2,000+ Residents
Nov. 29, 2019
Immigrant Couple Accelerates from English to Entrepreneurship
June 19, 2018
Over 2,300 Residents Benefit from Neighborhood Jobs Trust in 2016-2017
Jan. 30, 2018
NJT-Funded Job Trainee Honored at Chamber of Commerce Event
Sep. 22, 2017
Successful Job Training Program Highlighted on Chronicle
March 28, 2017
Immigrants Hone Skills for Boston’s Hospital, Hotel & Banking Industries
Jan. 24, 2017
English Language Learners Gain Better Jobs Through NJT
Dec. 23, 2016
OWD Serves as Idea-Sharing Hub for Non-Profits
Nov. 16, 2016
Report Shows Impact of Neighborhood Jobs Trust on Jobs, Incomes
July 6, 2016
From Skyscraping to Jobs Training
June 29, 2016
South Boston Hotels Generate Jobs, Community Benefits
June 29, 2016
Neighborhood Jobs Trust Distributes $1.2 Million in Grants
March 8, 2016
Guide to the Neighborhood Jobs Trust
This 5-page guide reviews the trust’s purpose, permitted activities, and funding mechanisms.
Neighborhood Jobs Trust Impact Report, 2017-2018
The trust’s second impact report includes outcomes, program highlights, and testimonials from graduates.
Neighborhood Jobs Trust Impact Report, 2016-2017 The trust’s second impact report includes outcomes, program highlights, and testimonials from graduates.
Neighborhood Jobs Trust Impact Report, 2014-2015
The trust’s first impact report includes outcomes, program highlights, and testimonials from graduates.