NECAT Culinary Program Graduates Cohort 32 with Mayor Walsh and Senator Collins Present

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6168 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

Boston's NECAT culinary job training program graduated its 32nd cohort with a $300,000 state budget boost in hand. Executive Director Joey Cussey told families and supporters at the July 22 ceremony that more than 75 to 80 percent of graduates secure employment immediately after completing the tuition-free 16-week program, which serves Boston residents regardless of incarceration history or prior substance use. State Senator Nick Collins, who represents the First Suffolk District, secured the $300,000 appropriation after visiting the program, calling it a workforce and community investment.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh delivered extended remarks, disclosing his own history with alcohol dependency and recovery and framing NECAT's model as aligned with city offices he created, including what he described as the first municipal Office of Recovery Services in the United States. Graduate Bradley Ford represented the "Elite 32" cohort from the podium, crediting individual instructors and counselors by name and calling NECAT "a family."

In the full story:

• Opening Remarks and Program Overview
• Senator Nick Collins Remarks and $300,000 Budget Appropriation
• Mayor Walsh Personal Remarks and City Partnership
• Graduate Address — Bradley Ford
• Certificate Presentation
• Who Was There
• The complete report — 1,717 words

Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6168 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.