Adult Career Training

You may be eligible to participate in our Adult Career Training Programs if you: 

• Are over 18 years old. 
• Have low to moderate household income.
• Are a Massachusetts resident.
• Are eligible to work in the United States.
• Can meet academic thresholds on adult education exams.
• Are interested in science and technology.
• Have a High School Diploma.

Please note: Priority is given to those with limited or no post-secondary education in the US.

1. Register for info session
2. Attend info session
3. Complete Eligibility form
4. Attend testing on site at Just A Start

In order to move forward, you must pass the entrance exam. 

1. Submit application and supporting documents
2. In person interview with Program staff
3. Receive decision within 2-3 weeks of interview

Applicants are required to submit proof of identification, their highest level of education attained, proof of residency, income verification, and a resume. For further details on the accepted documentation for participation, please click here. 

The Adult Career Training Suite has moved and is now located just a short walk away from the MBTA Alewife Station, at 430 Rindge Avenue Cambridge, MA 02140. For detailed directions on how to locate the suite, please click here. 

Trainees attend classes from 9:00am-2:00pm, Monday-Friday for approximately nine months (September-May).

Trainees receive approximately 23 hours of instruction each week, with additional homework time of up to 15-20 hours per week. During their time in the program, trainees who are also employed typically coordinate their work shifts on evenings and weekends to accommodate their class schedule.

Programs are free for all trainees! 

We are committed to offering tuition-free programs so that trainees, most of whom are also supporting families, can access higher-earning careers without accumulating student debt or having their income be a barrier. Trainees are responsible for getting themselves to class – parking is limited, but our classes are easily reachable by public transportation.

Just A Start partners with many corporations, foundations, and government agencies to fund the Biotechnology and IT Careers Programs. Please visit our Partnership page for information about supporting the programs!

Just A Start Adult Career Training Programs uses Accuplacer to evaluate trainees’ skill level in reading, writing, and math. Biotechnology trainees must pass math and reading. IT trainees must pass reading and writing. To prepare for these tests you can download and practice with free sample questions.

ESL Reading | Math | Advanced Arithmetic

You can find other resources to prepare for the exam on the Accuplacer website.

If you pass your Accuplacer placement exams, the next step is to interview with an Adult Career Training staff member. Your interview is a chance for us to learn more about your goals, interests, and readiness for a new career.

We don’t expect you to have experience in the field yet. We just ask that you come prepared to talk about why this program feels like the right fit for you and your opportunity to demonstrate that you’ve thought about why Biotechnology or Information Technology is the right career pathway for you. 

Click here for more information on how you can prepare for your interview. 

After about 750 hours of total class time including more than 300 hours of hands-on technical skills training, alumni are prepared to enter a variety of entry-level positions in the field!

Biotechnology trainees graduate into roles like:

• Laboratory Technicians/Assistants
• Manufacturing Technicians
• Cell Culture Technicians
• Clinical Lab Assistants
• Quality Control

IT trainees graduate into roles like:

• Help Desk Technicians
• Desktop Support Specialists
• Windows Deployment Technician
• PC Technician

With 500+ alumni since 1992, program alumni are employed at a variety of life sciences, technology, education, and health care companies all over the Metro North region!

Employers of alumni include:

• Addgene
• Boston Medical Center
• Brigham & Women’s Hospital
• City of Cambridge
• Granite Telecommunications
• Hebrew Rehabilitation Center
• Indigo Agriculture
• Insource Services
• Medford Public Schools
• MIT
• Nova Biomedical
• Pfizer
• Santander Bank
• Takeda
• TEKsystems
• Thermo Fisher
• Toast
• uniQure

Successful applicants will have an interest in science or technology, but no previous experience is required. Trainees enter the program from a wide variety of personal and professional backgrounds.

Trainees that successfully complete all program requirements receive a graduation certificate from Just A Start. 

In addition, some college credits to institutions such as Bunker Hill Community College and Franklin Cummings Technical Institute may be available to graduates who want to continue their education in the future.

Just A Start not only trains individuals for skills in Biotechnology and Information Technology but also focuses on the skills needed in order to be successful in job search in any field. Courses such as Business Communications and Career Explorations help trainees develop soft and power skills needed to succeed both personally and professionally. Our robust Alumni programming offers support that begins during the program (Mock Interviews, Career Week, revision of Resumes) and continues until after trainees attain jobs.