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2015 | Doing Business in Connecticut 95 Shaping Connecticut's Future By Kathleen Marioni, director of the Office of Workforce Competitiveness C onnecticut's most important asset in supporting business growth is our skilled workforce. It helps at- tract companies and keeps them here. For years, our workers have been better educated and more productive than the rest of the nation and competitor states. Our ability to sustain skilled talent will be increasingly important as Connecticut's economy evolves. Most jobs here in the next decade will require education beyond high school, equivalent to two years of college or com- parable training. Many businesses will need employees educated in "STEM" disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics. To successfully plan for a pros- perous future, companies must be confident they can rely on the ready availability of highly skilled, highly productive employees. Several trends challenge our traditional workforce advantages. Connecticut's workers are among the nation's oldest, with increas- ing numbers of experienced employees in key sectors retiring. At the same time, many of the young people filling these jobs do not have all the necessary skills and capabilities. Ensuring that employers can rely on skilled talent will not happen by accident. Numerous public-private partners collabo- rate in the state's workforce system to meet this objective. e business-led Connecticut Employment and Training Commission (CETC) plays a key role advising the governor and General Assembly on workforce strate- gies and investments. CETC includes leaders of key state agencies — Labor, Economic and Community Development, Education, Reha- bilitation Services, Energy and Environmental Protection, and Higher Education. e Office of Workforce Competitiveness provides technical assistance to align resources and coordinate strategy to meet businesses' job growth needs. Connecticut's five Workforce Investment Boards coordinate local efforts. is partnership has resulted in programs designed to address employers' workforce pri- orities and to strengthen employee skills with system-building efforts aligning education and training to employer needs. Jobs Funnel: Coordinated by OWC, the Funnels operate locally statewide to help jobseekers pursue careers in construction. Services include re- cruitment, assessment, case management, training, job placement and retention sup- port. More than 3,900 participants have been placed in construction- related jobs and apprenticeships. Disability Employment Initiative: e DEI supports education, training and job placement for jobseekers with dis- abilities, and expands opportunities in the Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work program. Workforce partners engage with businesses on strategies to recruit, train, hire and retain qualified candidates with dis- abilities, develop internships, and strengthen connections with employers that recognize this oen untapped worker pool as a valued source of skilled talent. Subsidized Training and Employment Program (Step Up): Step Up offers employer incentives to provide on-the-job training and hire un- employed jobseekers. Wage subsidies up to $12,000 are provided over a six-month period. Participants have been hired as CNC and machine operators, CAD designers, en- gineers, and marketing specialists. More than 700 employers have hired 2,600 individuals. Incumbent Worker Training: is program helps businesses defray the cost of improving the skills of current em- ployees. Employers match funding for at least 50 percent of the cost of training. e agency tries to work with high-growth companies that create career ladders and offer wages and benefits exceeding industry averages. A new program, with funding from DECD's Manu- facturing Innovation Fund, can provide up to $100,000 per company in matching funds for training and upgrading skills. Manufacturing Technology Centers: Coordinated by the Board of Regents for Higher Education, centers operate at Asnuntuck, Housatonic, Naugatuck Valley and Quinebaug Valley community colleges. Graduates earn an Advanced Manufacturing Certificate, 576 hours of related instruction toward a manufacturing apprenticeship, NIMS Machine Level I certificate credits, and OSHA 10 certification. Graduates have a 90 percent placement rate at a plethora of companies. A recent USDOL grant expands manufacturing instruction to every community college. CT STEM Jobs: is effort connects jobseekers with STEM workshops and career guidance in the American Job Centers and encourages STEM-related employers to pursue on-the-job- training options to hire and train new employ- ees. is is an initiative of the Connecticut Workforce Development Council, comprising the Workforce Investment Boards. ❑ Building the Talent Pool OWC helps sustain a highly skilled workforce to grow state economy PHOTO/OFFICE OF WORKFORCE COMPETITIVENESS ' Our ability to sustain skilled talent will be increasingly important as Connecticut's economy evolves. ' — Kathleen Marioni, director, Office of Workforce Competitiveness