Public Hearing Testimony of Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo
Department of Labor
Labor and Public Employees Committee
March 10, 2026
Good morning, Senator Kushner, Representative Sanchez, Senator Sampson, Representative Weir and members of the Labor and Public Employees Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with written testimony regarding HB 5491: AN ACT CONCERNING CENTRALIZATION OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION. My name is Danté Bartolomeo, and I am the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL).
The stated goal of HB 5491 is to create a central repository of information, resources and materials regarding workforce development organizations and opportunities. CTDOL appreciates the proponents’ desire to connect workers and jobseekers to workforce development programs and services. However, we
do oppose HB 5491 as CTDOL already provides an extensive amount of information on both the CTDOL website and on the CT Hires website, and partners with other agencies and organizations to assist job seekers in finding appropriate resources.
As mentioned, CTDOL’s main website has a dedicated page for jobseekers.
As the Committee can see from the image above, CTDOL’s website includes information and links for several different available services and programs. Jobseekers can find information on how to make an appointment with an American Job Center, register with CTHires, view upcoming Job Fairs & Recruitment
Events, and explore Registered Apprenticeships, Job Corps, Platform to Employment, Shared Work, and Jobs First Employment Services, in addition to other information that may be helpful.
Additionally, CTHires (Connecticut Helping Individuals and Employers Reach Employment Success), as CT’s comprehensive workforce development site, houses resources to help jobseekers find a job in Connecticut. There they can search for jobs with the Virtual Recruiter tool, create a resume, and find training that could be helpful in starting a new career.
While we believe that these two websites already achieve many of the goals that HB 5491 proponents are seeking, we would welcome feedback to make these websites even more helpful to jobseekers. If this bill passes and CTDOL is directed to create an entirely new page, there will be a fiscal impact associated with
the creation as well as ongoing monitoring and updating of the site.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide the Committee with this written testimony. My staff and I are reachable to further discuss HB 5491 by directing any questions you may have to Billy Taylor, Legislative and Administrative Advisor at william.b.taylor@ct.gov or 203-947-4136.
