(GROTON, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the commencement of 19 job training programs funded by CareerConneCT, a $70 million program designed to support getting individuals in Connecticut whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19 back to work. These statewide and regional programs will provide short-term job training through industry-recognized credentials that create pathways to employment in high-quality, in-demand careers.
The governor made the announcement in Groton, where he was joined by U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Senator Richard Blumenthal, and Congressman Joe Courtney to highlight the initiative.
Administered by the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy, CareerConneCT is made possible by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The programs to be launched are targeted toward populations most underrepresented in the workforce, including BIPOC, people with disabilities, the re-entry population, opportunity youth, and veterans, immigrants, and women.
Potential job seekers will have access to an intake portal that connects them to reskilling, upskilling, or next-skilling opportunities in manufacturing, information technology, health care, infrastructure and clean energy, and other high-demand sectors. Each program will also include supportive services to promote successful completion of training and connection to employment, including childcare, transportation, career advising, and other forms of case management. Training and supportive services will be available at no cost to eligible participants.
“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,” Governor Lamont said. “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.”
“CareerConneCT, funded by federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan, will improve the lives of thousands of Connecticut residents, providing new job opportunities and brighter futures,” Senator Blumenthal said. “This program isn’t just job training — it also helps address the often daunting barriers people face when they want to return to work or advance in their careers by providing supportive services to make sure participants have all the tools they need to succeed. CareerConneCT is yet another incredible and important resource to help Connecticut rebuild after the pandemic and bolster the economy and I will keep fighting to bring federal resources back to Connecticut to support programs like this.”
“Eastern Connecticut’s manufacturing pipeline has placed thousands of people in new careers, and it’s bursting at the seams with demand – what better time to duplicate those efforts, and to train up thousands more skilled workers in our state for new careers in fields like manufacturing than right now?” Congressman Joe Courtney said. “CareerConneCT is a great example of where the rubber meets the road for the American Rescue Plan. We’ve seen Rescue Plan dollars used to support our schools, firefighters, police officers, and many others. It’s helped lots of our local businesses stay open, and now it’s going to help redouble our already-successful workforce training efforts. With so much opportunity now on the horizon – from high demand in the health care sector, to a historic amount of submarine construction, to increased manufacturing activity across the board – the federally funded CareerConneCT program is great news for eastern Connecticut.”
“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. I couldn’t be more excited for these programs to launch, and most importantly create opportunities for Connecticut job seekers.”
“CareerConneCT is a key pillar of the Governor’s Workforce Council plan to build an equitable, demand driven workforce system that provides high quality employment for all residents,” Mark Argosh, chair of the Governor’s Workforce Council, said. “Employers have made hiring commitments for more than 6,000 positions in our highest growth sectors including manufacturing, health care, information technology, life sciences, business services, financial services, and clean energy.”
To enroll in training programs or for more information on CareerConneCT visit portal.ct.gov/careerconnect.
**Download: List of 19 job training programs participating in CareerConneCT