Josh Cutler ’94 named Mass. Undersecretary of Apprenticeship
Josh Cutler ’94 was recently appointed by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey as the undersecretary of apprenticeship, work-based learning, and policy. The position follows his role as a state representative, serving the Sixth Plymouth District since 2013.
Cutler oversees the Division of Apprentice Standards within the Executive Office of
Labor and Workforce Development. His responsibilities include collaborating with businesses,
labor organizations, and educational institutions to expand registered apprenticeship
programs and leading the growth of work-based learning career pathways.
Throughout his tenure as a six-term state representative, Cutler has been a strong advocate for workforce development, vocational education, and career center funding. He is the lead sponsor of the wage transparency act, the disability hiring tax credit, and the apprenticeship standards and re-entry works fund. His efforts earned him numerous accolades, including the Thomas M. Menino Public Service Award for his work on disability employment policy; Legislator of the Year by the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council; and the Plymouth-Bristol Central Labor Council. He was involved with the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council and co-chaired the Future of Work Commission.
A government major at Skidmore, Cutler earned his law degree at Suffolk University Law School while he was editor in chief at Duxbury Clipper Press, a newspaper that covers his hometown, where he was born and raised. He would eventually become its publisher. Cutler also earned a master’s degree in environmental policy at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Cutler recalls his formative years at Skidmore with fondness, particularly his time as editor of the student newspaper and launching the College’s first cable access TV station. “It all started in the basement of Jonsson Tower, where we pulled all-nighters every Wednesday to get ‘The Skidmore News’ finished in time for delivery to the printer the next morning,” he says.
Though he has moved on from his newspaper days, Cutler still finds time to write compelling stories centered on freedom of the press and the history of his state: He is the author of two books, “” and “.”
“My professional career has basically mirrored the journey I began during my days at Skidmore — finding ways to combine my passions for journalism, law, and public policy,” Cutler says. “I see them as three legs of a stool, and Skidmore gave me a great foundation.”
