Post-COVID pandemic recovery in Massachusetts must include job training, Gov. Charlie Baker says Updated Apr 29, 2021; The Massachusetts workforce’s recovery will depend on job training opportunities for people whose careers vanished in the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday. The Republican governor announced $2.1 million for vocational programs while visiting Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School in Danvers Thursday morning. Essex North Shore was one of 10 vocational schools that received Career Technical Institute grants. But the governor said the funds don’t signal that he favors vocational training in lieu of a college degree. When asked about the value of a college education, Baker said the state is prioritizing job training to offer an alternatives for those who saw their jobs vanish overnight as the COVID-19 pandemic was declared.