by Brent Addleman
Connecticut is implementing a new training program that is designed to give workers the skills necessary to fill jobs in high-priority occupations.
CareerConneCT, a $70 million program, backed by American Rescue Plan Act funds, will operate 19 various job training programs, Gov. Ned Lamont said. The training programs are aimed at giving workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic short-term training to get them the credentials needed to work in various sectors of the workforce in higher quality jobs that are in demand.
“We are building CareerConneCT to become one of the largest workforce development initiatives ever executed in Connecticut, and we’ve already received significant commitments from employers that are looking to hire thousands of workers in a broad spectrum of high-quality, good-paying fields,” Lamont said in a release. “This is an opportunity for those who are unemployed or underemployed to receive no-cost training in an in-demand field and get connected directly to an employer that is looking to fill jobs.”
The program, according to a release, will be administered by the state’s Office of Workforce Strategy. CareerConneCT is designed to deploy training programs to populations that have been underrepresented in the workforce, including BIPOC, those with disabilities, the reentry population, opportunity youth, and veterans, immigrants, and women.
According to the release, job seekers interested in registering for the training programs can access an online intake portal that will provide them with information on the programs. The portal will guide job seeking who are reskilling, upskilling, or next-skilling for jobs in manufacturing, information technology, health care, infrastructure, and clean energy.
Training programs, according to the release, will come with supportive services to encourage completion of the courses. Services such as childcare, transportation, career advising, and other forms of case management will be offered at no cost.
“This is more than job training, this is redesigning the way we approach workforce development,” Connecticut Chief Workforce Officer Dr. Kelli Vallieres said in a release. “The guiding principles of CareerConneCT are to build an inclusive, collaborative, and coordinated workforce system. I couldn’t be more excited for these programs to launch, and most importantly create opportunities for Connecticut job seekers.”
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Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor and a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky.
