CTI Grant Funded Tuition-Free Programs

We are currently accepting applications for the Spring 2025  Electrical Code – Module 1,  and the HVAC – Oil and Gas Burner Technology Program. Please be sure to read all of the information on this page before submitting your preliminary application. 

You can only apply to 1 program.

The application process for the Plumbing Tier 1 Program will open at a later date. The program will start Fall 2025.  If you’d like to be contacted once the process is open, please click here to leave your contact  information.

We are pleased to announce that Keefe Regional Technical School’s Continuing Education program for adults, Keefe at Night, has once again received a grant which now includes a Module 1 Electrical Code Program. This new grant also includes funding for continuation of its CTI Grant Journeyman Plumbing Code and Theory, and HVAC Oil and Gas Burner Technology Certification Programs. The HVAC and Electrical programs are being offered in Spring 2025. Plumbing Tier 1 will be offered in Fall 2025.

The three programs are made possible through funding by the Career Technical Initiative (CTI), which is funded through an appropriation in the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 State Budget and funds appropriated through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. The grants are administered by Commonwealth Corporation on behalf of the Workforce Skills Cabinet. In partnership with the MassHire Metro South/West Career Center, Keefe at Night will administer the programs from the admissions application process to apprenticeship placement, and employment.

The primary objective of the CTI funding and the expansion of these three programs is to address the needs of both job seekers and employers by providing training opportunities for adults in high-demand and high-growth industries. This training will help individuals who are either unemployed or under-employed in establishing career pathways.

The grant funds awarded to Keefe at Night will provide opportunities to eligible adult learners to enroll in an enhanced 200-hour Massachusetts Journeyman Plumbing Tier 1, a  200-hour HVAC – Oil and Gas Burner Technology Certification Program, and a 200-hour Massachusetts Journeyman Electrical Module 1 Program at no cost to participants. In addition to classroom lectures, these programs will include OSHA certification, hands-on practice, and essential career development and employability skills training.

If you are interested in applying, please read the instructions below and be sure to complete all the necessary forms.  Only completed applications will be reviewed for eligibility and admissions.

Programming

Please note that you can only apply for one program.

In addition to classroom lectures, these programs will include OSHA certification, hands-on practice, and essential career development and employability skills training.

Electrical Journeyman – Module 1

New! Journeyman Electrical Module 1 200-hour program – Launch your career as a Journeyman Electrician.  This program will include the required 75 hours of code and theory studies for Module 1 as part of the Massachusetts 8-Module journeyman program. It also includes OSHA Certification, hands-on practice, and essential career development and employability skills training.

HVAC – Oil and Gas Burner Technology

HVAC – Oil and Gas Burner Technology – This 200-hour program will prepare students to sit for the Massachusetts Oil Burner Technician Certification exam.   Students will learn the basics of residential heating gas & oil burner technology, service, repair, installation and maintenance.  The program also includes OSHA Certification, hands-on practice, and essential career development and employability skills training.

Journeyman Plumbing Tier 1

Fall 2025 Journeyman Plumbing Tier 1 200-hour program – Launch your career as a Journeyman Plumber.  This program will include the required 110 hours of code and theory studies for Tier 1 as part of the Massachusetts 5-tier  journeyman program.  It also includes OSHA Certification, hands-on practice, and essential career development and employability skills training.

Certifications:

Participants in the Electrical – Module 1 Program will receive a certificate of completion of 75 hours in Module 1, as part of the Massachusetts 8-Module Journeyman Electrical Program. 

Tier 1 Plumbing Program students will receive a certificate of completion for the 110 Tier 1 hours required by the State of Massachusetts Plumbing Board. 

Participants in the HVAC program will be prepared to take the Massachusetts Oil Burner Technician exam.

Eligibility:

Do you qualify for this tuition-free program? In order to qualify for either of these programs, applicants must:

  1. Show proof of Massachusetts residency.  Residency may be documented using one of the documents listed below:
  • Driver’s License or current and valid MA State-Issued ID
  • Utility Bill dated within the last three months
  • Government Mail received in the past 60 days (including property tax or excise tax bill)
  • Bank Statement
  • Pension Statement
  • Auto or Home Insurance Policy
  1. Show proof of eligibility to be eligible to work in the United States by submitting one of the following documents:
  • United States Passport
  • Birth Certificate
  • Social Security Card
  • Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
  1. Be currently unemployed or underemployed
  • An unemployed individual is defined as an individual who is not currently employed at the time of enrollment in the program.
  • An underemployed individual is defined as an individual who is earning less than 60% of the Median Household Income (also referred to as Area Median Income) for the Workforce Area in which they reside (please click on the picture of the table).
  1. Be 18 years of age or older when submitting their application
  2. Possess a high school diploma or equivalency
  3. Agree to the Program Terms and Guidelines which appear in the preliminary application.

APPLICATIONS FOR THE FALL 2025 PLUMBING – TIER 1 PROGRAM – will open in Spring 2025.

Please note that you can only apply for one program.

If it is determined from your preliminary application that you are eligible for one of these grant-funded programs, you will receive an email from our partner, MassHire Career Center in Framingham, with instructions on next steps and requirements. 

Within one week of contact from MassHire, you must submit the required information that appears below:

  • MassHire Job Quest ID #
  • Copy of your current Massachusetts Driver’s License.
  • A copy of your most recent pay stub for those participants who are underemployed.
  • Unemployed participants will need to submit proof of unemployment. Examples of forms of documentation that can be accepted for proof of unemployment include:
    1. Proof of UI receipt
    2. Attestation of unemployment
    3. Letter or statement of unemployment verification
    4. Screenshot of photo of UI account
    5. Tax form for proof of no income (e.g., 1040 form)
    6. A copy of your high school diploma or GED/HiSet Certificate.

If you fulfill all of the eligibility requirements, you will be asked to participate in a one-on-one interview with Soraya Winters, Keefe at Night’s CTI Program Manager.  Your acceptance status will be communicated to you shortly after the interview.

Commonwealth of MA
keefe-at-night
Commonwealth Corporation
MassHire