04/05/2023
March 15, 2023 Education Committee Senate Bill 1197
Public Hearing Testimony of
Danté Bartolomeo
Commissioner
Department of Labor
Education Committee
March 15, 2023
Good morning, Representative Currey, Senator McCrory, Representative McCarty, Senator Berthel, Representative Leeper, Senator Winfield, and members of the Education Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with written testimony regarding Senate Bill 1197: AN ACT CONCERNING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. My name is Danté Bartolomeo, and I am the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor.
The Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) appreciates the committee’s focus on addressing workforce development by encouraging local boards of education and students to participate in work-based learning programs. The bill language indicates that the committee is well-aware of CTDOL’s Office of Apprenticeship Training, which operates a workforce development system that includes Registered Apprenticeships, along with Registered Preapprenticeships. Across various fields of training, these programs increase workforce recruitment and proficiency, help employers transfer occupational skills to a new generation of workers, and ensure succession planning. When participants complete their program, the Connecticut Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship Training provides an industry recognized, portable credential that:
- Certifies completion of the program
- Distinguishes the apprentice as a master of their craft
- Makes the apprentice eligible to take any occupational licensing exams
CTDOL would gladly participate in any conversations with the State Department of Education (SDE), along with any other sister agency or interested parties on any workforce development initiatives that the committee moves forward with. We would, however, appreciate having a conversation with the committee on the intent of Section 5, as it would require “Each workforce development program that receives state funds shall (1) keep an accurate account of all its activities and of all its receipts and expenditures, and (2) not later than January 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, submit such account to the Auditors of Public Accounts. Such account shall be in a form and include such components as prescribed by said auditors. The financial accounts of such workforce development program shall be subject to biennial audits by said auditors.”
As the committee is likely aware, CTDOL and our sister agencies currently have policies in place to ensure that our CTDOL and our partners are expending funds in ways that are allowable and in line with the intended purpose. CTDOL does this through fiscal and program monitoring, reviewing of invoices, providing technical assistance, and other methods. To the extent that there would be new reporting requirements, there may be a budget implication. For this reason, we would welcome the chance to discuss the intent of this section with the proposal’s advocates so that we can clarify and strengthen SB 1197.
Thank you again for the opportunity to testify, and we look forward to continuing to work with you on ways to help our students develop and obtain the skills they need to enter our state’s workforce.
Connecticut Department of Labor • www.ct.gov/dol
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer