Press Releases
GOV. MALLOY GIVES FINAL APPROVAL TO #N
EXT
G
EN
CT
Initiative Invests in Strengthening State's Workforce to Attract Employers, Grow Jobs
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he has signed a legislative initiative he proposed earlier this year called "
Next Generation Connecticut
" (#
NextGenCT
). The plan will invest $1.5 billion in UConn to support major expansions across three campuses, bring thousands of jobs to the state, and, over the next ten years, catalyze hundreds of millions of dollars in research investment and business activity.
"Connecticut used to lead the world when it came to innovation - we had more patents, more groundbreaking discoveries than anywhere else in the world. Somewhere along the way the world caught up. This is about to change," Governor Malloy said. "By targeting state resources to our flagship university, we ensure that our young people have the skills they need to fill the jobs we are so aggressively pursuing. Make no mistake, we are making Connecticut competitive again.
"This initiative will prepare students for good paying jobs in the fields that we are working so hard to expand here in Connecticut - bioscience, engineering, digital media, and technology. The thousands of jobs this expansion will create, and the millions in investments and business activity it will generate will continue to make our state an attractive place to invest, work and do business.
"I want to thank the members of the General Assembly who showed overwhelming bipartisan support for this initiative, and particularly express my gratitude to the co-chairs of both the Finance and Higher Education Committees for working with us on moving this legislation forward."
Endorsed by
over 100 businesses
, Next Generation Connecticut includes:
-
$137 million in state funds to support a 30 percent increase in enrollment at UConn-adding 6580 students and 259 faculty to the UConn Storrs and UConn Stamford campuses;
-
Expansion of the School of Engineering by increasing enrollment by 70 percent;
-
A 47 percent expansion in the total number of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates;
-
The addition of 50 STEM doctoral fellowships and the creation of the premier STEM honors program in the U.S.;
-
Relocating the Hartford campus to improve accessibility, strengthen collaboration with regional business, and the addition of real-world internships to help students launch careers; and
-
$1.54 billion in bonding to construct new STEM facilities, build out teaching and research labs, upgrade information technology, and renovate and build additional housing and parking.
The legislation is
Public Act 13-233
-
An Act Concerning Next Generation Connecticut
.
###
For Immediate Release: June 20, 2013
Twitter:
@GovMalloyOffice
Facebook:
Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy
- Twitter: @GovMalloyOffice
- Facebook: Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy