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Connecticut’s $70 million CareerConneCT job training initiative is officially open.
The Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy this week launched 19 job training programs, all funded through federal pandemic relief dollars.
State officials announced the initiative in January, which was created to help residents who lost jobs during the pandemic return to work and help address the state’s labor shortage.
The 19 programs chosen are designed to train and place residents in high-quality, in-demand jobs throughout the state.
The 19 programs chosen are designed to train and place residents in high-quality, in-demand jobs.
They are also targeted towards populations who are most underrepresented in the workforce.
“This is more than job training, this is redesigning the way we approach workforce development,” Connecticut chief workforce officer Dr. Kelli Vallieres said.
“The guiding principles of CareerConneCT are to build an inclusive, collaborative, and coordinated workforce system.”
The 19 programs span seven strategic industries, including healthcare, clean energy/infrastructure, manufacturing, information technology, CDC, bioscience, and social/human services.
While most of the programs have a specific focus, some of the programs are designed to create workforce pipelines in multiple industries.
“Many of these organizations have dedicated years to developing collaborative workforce pipelines, but lacked the funding and visibility,” CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima said.
“We must encourage job seekers to use CareerConneCT, which will guide them through every step of the process.”
“We must encourage job seekers to use CareerConneCT, which will guide them through every step of the process.”
State officials said the programs will not only train individuals, but will also provide support services such as childcare, transportation, and career advising.
While many programs support adults looking to re-enter the workforce who may have faced challenges as a result of the pandemic or other inequities, some programs are geared towards individuals who recently completed high school.
CBIA affiliate ReadyCT and District Arts and Education are among the programs chosen to receive funding to support those individuals.
OWS said ReadyCT will receive $3 million to support high school seniors and recent graduates to define their career goals and place them in high-demand industry jobs immediately.
“ReadyCT is thrilled that CareerConneCT is investing in the future of the workforce,” ReadyCT executive director Shannon Marimón said.
“We look to expose graduating public high school seniors to the true wealth of career opportunities in Connecticut.”
“In partnership with OWS, and by leveraging sector-based training programs throughout the state, we look to expose graduating public high school seniors to the true wealth of career opportunities in Connecticut in ways that build meaningful talent pipelines into our high-growth, high-demand industries.
“Bright and capable students populate Connecticut schools in every community, across every demographic.
“This initiative will help us cultivate their talents in ways that benefit both individuals and the business community.”
Career ConneCT Program Grants
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