Connecticut is promoting job growth through a state-subsidized training and employment initiative, which enables business owners to hire and train the unemployed and veterans.
More than 2,200 new employees were recently hired under the state’s subsidized training and employment program, according to a press release. The job creation initiative, called Step Up, has helped more than 700 employers fill positions and expand their workforce.
The initiative provides employers with subsidies to cover the cost of training and paying the newly hired. The program is administered by the Connecticut Department of Labor and the state’s five workforce investment boards.
Step Up, job creation legislation enacted in 2012, provides either a wage subsidy or a training grant of up to $12,500 to eligible small-business owners with 100 or fewer employees. The subsidies cover the first six months of costs associated with hiring an employee.
The program provides an average starting wage of $16 an hour, and it has created jobs in information technology, manufacturing and engineering, among other professions.
“Growing Connecticut jobs continues to be a priority in our state, and Step Up has proven to be a valuable catalyst in helping companies to expand their workforce,” said Sharon Palmer, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor, which administers Step Up.
The Department of Labor also created a Step Up program for veterans, which provides a wage subsidy to any size companies that hire a veteran with an honorable discharge.
“With more than 7,000 veterans due to arrive home over the next several years, the Step Up program becomes even more important for service members re-entering the workforce,” said Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, in a press release. “These men and women have strong skills and leadership qualities; bringing them back into the civilian workforce quickly is a real benefit to both Connecticut business and the veterans and their families.”
Employers interested in getting involved with either of the Step Up programs can visit the Department of Labor”™s Step Up website at StepCT.com.
