CT Office of Workforce Strategy

3rd Annual Regional Sector Partnership Convening Join us for a day filled with networking, workshops, and collaboration. This event brings together industry leaders, and community partners to discuss the future of our workforce.?Topics to include: - Practices to Expand your Talent Pipeline - Policy Discussion with CT Law Makers - Job Quality as a Talent Retention Strategy?? - Transforming Workplaces: Essential Tools to Support Second Chance Hiring - Engaging Students as a Talent Pipeline - Regional Sector Partnerships Sustainability Don't miss this opportunity to connect and contribute to shaping workforce in our State. Register below to secure your spot!

Join Us at the 2025 Workforce Summit: Developing Future-Ready Talent! The CT Office of Workforce Strategy (OWS) and the CT Business Industry Association CBIA invite you to Developing Future-Ready Talent—a Workforce Summit on April 22nd focused on building a stronger, more adaptable workforce for Connecticut’s future. Special Guest Speaker: Dr. Michelle Weiss Renowned author and workforce development expert, Dr. Weiss will share insights on the future of work, lifelong learning, and the evolving talent landscape to help organizations stay ahead in a rapidly changing economy. This summit will cover key workforce strategies, including: ? Talent Pipeline & Workforce Readiness ? Aligning Education with Industry Needs ? Public-Private Partnerships for Workforce Growth ? Equity & Inclusion in Workforce Development ?? Date: April 22, 2025 ?? Location: Aqua Turf, Plantsville, CT Whether you’re a business leader, educator, workforce strategist, or policymaker, this is your opportunity to collaborate, share insights, and develop solutions that will shape Connecticut’s workforce future. Register today and be part of the movement to build a future-ready workforce! ?????? https://lnkd.in/eXAvzdJW #CTWorkforce #FutureReadyTalent #WorkforceSummit #TalentPipeline #FutureofWork #DrMichelleWeiss #ConnecticutJobs #WorkforceInnovation

BioCT Congratulations for a well organized informative event today. Great words and support from Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Daniel O'Keefe as the Keynote.

??Through public private collaboration and partnerships, manufacturing in CT has grown in recent years, maintaining its place atop the region. Manufacturing is core to Connecticut’s economy and thanks to strategic investments like the?Manufacturing Innovation Fund (MIF)?and over?$100 million in workforce development programs, the Connecticut Office of Manufacturing and CT Office of Workforce Strategy are training the next generation of leaders who will continue making the most complex machines in the world. #Connecticut #MakeItHere #manufacturing #innovation #workforce

?? NEW: Three (3) RFPs Posted by the CT Office of Workforce Strategy 1 - Clean Economy & Climate Transition Manager (RFP # 24ECD2379) 2 - Clean Economy Regional Sector Partnership (RSP) Contractor (RFP # 24ECD2380) 3 - AI Skills for Jobs (RFP # 24ECD2385) More information, including respective OWS staff contacts, is available at https://lnkd.in/eGiQSJUH #rfps #connecticut #cleaneconomy #ai #climatetransition #connecticut

I'm not defined by the things I lack. For example, I can't ride a unicycle and people don't refer to me as "that guy who can't ride a unicycle!" So why then do people define workers as "non-degree" or worse "unskilled?"?This is misinformed, dismissing the many skills STARs bring to the table.?STARs = Skilled Through Alternative Routes, rather than a bachelor's degree. STARs represent 50% of the U.S. workforce and should be included in any public or private sector talent strategy. Let's STOP defining people by the absence of degrees and START defining them for what they *have*- talent, ingenuity, determination, and skills. Last year - I spoke about the business case for STARs at the Connecticut Workforce Summit. Since then, Connecticut (Governor Ned Lamont, CT Office of Workforce Strategy, CBIA Social Impact Partners, and others) has taken action to open up opportunities for STARs: ? In June, Governor Ned Lamont signed a new law eliminating unnecessary college?degree requirements for the majority of state government jobs ? Last month, Connecticut joined four other states as a "Transformer in the Public Sector" a first-of-its-kind effort led by Opportunity@Work to implement skills-based strategies You can watch the full recording here: https://lnkd.in/gm2mymhW #HireSTARs #TearthePaperCeiling #economicdevelopment #workforce #skills #skillsbasedhiring

Last week, Southwest Connecticut Tech Hub held its quarterly sector meeting with a focused discussion of employer-led talent development programs with #Connecticut leaders of these initiatives - Synchrony, Charles IT and Accenture - for tech and IT occupations. From apprenticeships to 12-week training programs for new recruits, Marlena (Burroughs) Stout, Foster Charles, and Laura Zucker shared the impetus for taking on these initiatives, best practices, and lessons learned. This discussion was moderated by Genevive Walker of Social Impact Partners. We also celebrated the 1 year milestones of this sector partnership and recognized a few of our Tech Ready trainees! You can learn more about this sector partnership at CTTechHub.org The Stamford Partnership The WorkPlace CT Office of Workforce Strategy #TechSectorPartnership #GoodJobsChallenge #TechTraining

?? Connecticut's Good Jobs Challenge award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration continues to support CT's Regional Sector Partnerships. Congratulations to Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board on their great convening! #WorkforceDevelopment #GoodJobsChallenge #RegionalSectorPartnerships

The 2024 Connecticut Tech Talent Ecosystem Summit highlighted promising initiatives and featured a series of productive discussions around the cross-sector collaborations needed to cultivate talent for our evolving tech workforce.?Appreciated the opportunity to partner with the CT Office of Workforce Strategy, Business-Higher Education Forum, and the New England Board of Higher Education to bring together higher education leaders, tech industry leaders, policymakers, workforce development organizations, nonprofit organizations, and credential providers. As Governor Ned Lamont said, "This is one of those decades when everything happens." Connecticut State Colleges & Universities Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. #connecticut #workforce #techtalent #innovation #reimagineCT

Building Connecticut’s Future Tech Workforce: A Collaborative Approach At the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy, we recognize that a skilled and diverse tech workforce is essential for the state’s economic growth and competitiveness in a rapidly changing global economy. That’s why we’re working closely with educational institutions and businesses through the Tech Talent Accelerator (TTA) to create clear pathways into high-demand sectors like cybersecurity, mobile app development, AI, and cloud computing. The Tech Talent Accelerator has made significant strides in building the workforce of tomorrow: ? Created 15 academic pathways ? Engaged 13 higher education institutions ? Partnered with 34 industry leaders ? Logged 305 course enrollments to date ? Capacity for 300 students per semester to participate statewide Additionally, the TTA has made tremendous progress in bringing more underrepresented students and workers into tech programs and roles. Black and African American students represent 15-24% of total program enrollment, and women account for about 30% of participants. In 2023, we expanded our efforts with new partnerships, offering training programs in fields such as biostatistics and AI, while specifically addressing the needs of neurodiverse learners and historically underrepresented communities. These programs are preparing future students and reimagining the workforce pipeline to be more inclusive, innovative, and ready for the demands of tomorrow’s technology. With over 2,600 new tech job openings posted each month, Connecticut faces a critical talent gap. Despite our vibrant higher education ecosystem, we’re not producing enough graduates to meet the demand. Our partnerships aim to bridge this gap by aligning curricula with industry needs, providing tuition assistance, and equipping learners with the in-demand skills that Connecticut’s businesses need. By continuing to invest in AI talent, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies, we’re not only preparing the next generation of skilled professionals but also positioning Connecticut as a national leader in workforce innovation. #WorkforceStrategy #TechTalent #InclusiveWorkforce #FutureOfWork #AI #Cybersecurity #InnovationInAction #DiversityInTech #ConnecticutInnovation