Outstationing Policy

The role of the outstationed staff member is to serve as a liaison between the Adult Education (AE) system and the MassHire Career Center system to provide two-way referrals. AE programs receiving outstationing funds are required to develop a process agreed upon by local area AE programs to facilitate this system.

AE programs receiving outstationing funds must have an outstationed staff member at their assigned career center for a set number of hours each week. Outstationed staff are responsible for helping career center staff with intake, assessment, and referral of eligible customers to AE programs. The outstationed staff member must develop and monitor procedures with career center staff of how customers will be identified and referred to services and maintain accurate records of services provided. In addition, outstationed staff are also responsible for connecting eligible AE students looking for employment and/or training opportunities with career centers.

AE program referrals should be based on the needs of the customer as well as the customer's residence, place of employment, and preference. The length of AE program waiting lists should also be taken into consideration. The outstationed staff member must also follow up to ensure customers either enroll in classes or are placed on a waiting list.

The outstationed staff member is also responsible for disseminating information about career center services to local AE programs. This can be done, for example, by making presentations at AE programs, organizing informational trips to career centers, hosting webinars, or emailing information to AE programs about career center events and services. To provide accurate and comprehensive information about career center services, the outstationed staff member should familiarize him/herself with career center services by attending orientations and workshops on networking, labor market information, interviewing skills, resume writing, and other workforce preparation topics.

Programs are required to email mid-year and final reports to Michael Farma at ACLS. The program's ACLS program specialist, MassHire Career Center director, and MassHire Workforce Board executive director should also be copied on the report.

The mid-year report is due last Friday in January and must include all data from September 1 – December from that fiscal year. The final report is due last Friday in July and must include data from the entire fiscal year. For instructions on how to complete the reports, please see Directions for Outstationing Reports .

Last Updated: March 27, 2023