Gov. Ned Lamont is proposing to invest $103 million in funding that Connecticut is receiving from the American Rescue Plan Act to help rebuild the state”™s workforce.
Lamont said the funds would be used for providing access to industry-aligned training programs that address the immediate hiring demands of employers and provide job seekers impacted by the pandemic with employment opportunities.
There are currently 140,000 unemployed individuals in Connecticut. However, companies are hiring at a record pace, with March 2021 showing the highest monthly job posting numbers in the last 10 years.
According to the Connecticut Department of Labor, the state has recovered 176,400 jobs of the 292,400 lost during the pandemic.
The governor”™s proposal includes:
- $95.5 million to reskill and upskill 9,000 displaced workers through sector-based training programs.
- $2 million to provide job training and educational support to 1,000 currently or previously incarcerated youth and adults so they can find high-quality jobs aligned to the needs of employers.
- $2 million to provide employment opportunities to 1,000 at-risk and disengaged youth during and beyond the summer.
- $3.7 million to extend the operating hours of 10 Connecticut Technical Education and Career System programs so that hundreds of additional learners are served each year.
The Office of Workforce Strategy will work to convene state agencies, employers, educators, community organizations, regional workforce development boards, and other key stakeholders to effectively coordinate the initiatives.
Job training programs would leverage the successful infrastructure from the fall, where the Office of Workforce Strategy partnered with the regional workforce development boards and the community colleges to train over 850 individuals who had been displaced by the pandemic in high-demand occupations across a number of key industries, such as health care, manufacturing, and IT.
“Investing in our workers is a win-win,” Lamont said, calling his proposal “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the future of Connecticut”™s workforce and ensure it aligns with the needs of the post-pandemic, 21st century economy.”