At halfway mark:

Skilled workforce

(April 4, 2008) Boosting the skills Connecticut’s workforce and keeping skilled workers in the state are critically important issues to the business community. In today’s global, high-tech economy it is incumbent that businesses recruit and retain a highly talented workforce.

But there is a shortage of skilled workers in Connecticut, and employers are very concerned about the quality of job candidates they are seeing.

Lawmakers have made some small but important moves to address these challenges. Proposals advancing this year will raise expectations and academic standards for all students in public schools, help close the achievement gap, increase the availability of skilled manufacturing workers and ensure an adequate supply of housing that workers can afford.

Businesses have supported greater funding for charter schools, youth employment opportunities, incumbent worker training, public awareness for technical schools, and affordable housing programs.

While not all efforts have been successful at the Capitol, it’s been clear that the Connecticut business community wants to see progress in these areas.

Some of the positive initiatives still progressing include corporate income tax credits for housing that workers can afford, funding for statewide green jobs training, creation of alternative charter schools while increasing the per-pupil grant, and funding for a technical school public awareness campaign.

Meanwhile, several informational forums around the state have highlighted the need for high school reform in Connecticut. CBIA is working to bring awareness of this issue to legislators of this need in order to lay the groundwork for the 2009 session, when high school reform will be a top education issue.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Jesmin Basanti at 860-244-1929 or jesmin.basanti@cbia.com.