Lamont wants to put $103M into workforce training
Gov. Ned Lamont wants to invest $103 million the state is receiving from the American Rescue Plan Act to retrain workers who have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19.
Lamont said the proposed investment represents “the biggest commitment to workforce development in the history of the state.” But with 140,000 Connecticut residents currently out of work, he said it is critical for the legislature to approve this level of reinvestment in the workforce.
“Last month, we had more job postings out there than any time in the last decade,” Lamont said. “Our greatest competitive advantage is the quality of our workforce, and we’ve got to work at it every day.”
Increasingly, Lamont said, jobs across every employment sector require technology skills. “It’s every business now,” he said. “It’s not just Amazon and Facebook. This is a once-in-alifetime opportunity to shape the future of Connecticut’s workforce and ensure it aligns with the needs of the post-pandemic, 21st century economy.”
Lamont’s proposal includes:
⏩ $95.5 million to retrain and improve the skills of 9,000 displaced workers through job sector-focused training programs.
⏩ $2 million to provide job training and educational support to 1,000 currently or previously jailed youth and adults to help them find high-quality jobs that meet the needs of employers.
⏩ $3.7 million to extend the operating hours of 10 CT technical education and career system programs, so that hundreds more individuals can be served each year.
Lamont’s proposal was endorsed by State Rep. Caroline Simmons, D-Stamford, who is co-chair of the General Assembly’s Commerce Committee. Simmons said the investment in workforce training “is critical to attracting businesses and preparing our workforce for 21st century jobs.”
Business leaders who participated in a virtual
“Our greatest competitive advantage is the quality of our workforce, and we’ve got to work at it every day.”
Gov. Ned Lamont
press conference Thursday said the proposed initiative will allow their businesses to unlock the potential and talent of underserved communities.
“There is a lot of trapped talent out there, particularly in the urban cores,” said Marty Guay, vice president of business development for Stanley Black & Decker. “We need to find people who are at a minimum digitally literate, or better yet, digitally fluent. For us, this is job one.”
Technology giant Infosys opened its Connecticut operations in 2018 and promised to create 1,000 jobs in the state by 2022. The company’s president, Ravi Kumar, said that Infosys has hired 750 people so far and that the growth of the business is evidence that “there is going to be rapid digitization across all industries.”
“It’s going to be all about how we re-skill, re-purpose existing talent pools,” Kumar said.
The demand for retraining of workers isn’t being driven solely by the rapid advancement of technology across all business, according to Jeff Flaks, president and chief executive officer of Hartford Healthcare.
“Sixteen percent of our nurses are at or near retirement age,” Flaks said. “Healthcare is transforming, and it’s absolutely critical we identify new skill sets.”
Flaks’ counterpart at Yale New Haven Health, Marna Borgstrom, said that while many of the jobs that need to be filled require technological skills, once someone is able find a job within the healthcare system “we have very robust tuition assistance and mentoring programs.”
Lamont’s plan was endorsed by an executive with one of Connecticut’s largest employers in the manufacturing industry and a representative of a construction workers union.
Dave Roche, president of the Connecticut Building Trades Council, said he expects to see much of the state’s employment growth in the future to come from work in the wind power and solar energy sectors, as well as from the development of data centers around the state.
“I think there is going to be a lot of opportunity out there,” Roche said. “Some of the (talent) funnels are already there. We just need to put them on steroids.”
Andrew Bond, vice president of human resources for General Dynamics’ Electric Boat division — which has a significant presence in Groton and Southeastern Connecticut — said his company is in a period of growth that hasn’t been seen “since World War II and the start of the Cold War.”
“Our need is persistent and ongoing,” Bond said. “Our peak hiring won’t be until 2029. We’re looking to increase interest in ship building with people who don’t yet know they want to be ship builders.”
To meet the demand for skilled manufacturing employees, the WorkPlace in Bridgeport is launching an adult training program. The organization provides workforce development services for both employers and individuals.
Joe Carbone, president and chief executive officer of The WorkPlace, said the program starts on June 7 at Derby High School and will provide the type of training programs that will lead to a degree program in manufacturing at Housatonic Community College.