Online Learning, Manufacturing Initiatives Pass

State lawmakers acted on a number of initiatives during the 2016 General Assembly session designed to enhance workforce development in Connecticut.
Building a skilled workforce in Connecticut is an ongoing priority for employers.
Measures adopted by the legislature focused on developing and training talent, including finding innovative ways to recruit students into manufacturing careers.
HB 5070: Online Learning
This bill requires the state to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states and regions for online learning programs.
Adoption of this bill means more opportunity for students to take advantage of online learning opportunities.
This bill was adopted by the legislature and is awaiting action by the Governor.
HB 5072: Higher Education Programs
This bill begins the process of creating more consistency for higher education certificate programs.
The Board of Regents and the Office of Higher Education to define and monitor certificate programs, report back to the legislature and share certain information on the OHE website.
This bill was adopted by the legislature and is awaiting action by the Governor.
HB 5423: Manufacturing Careers
Sponsored by House Majority Leader Joe Aresimowicz (D-Berlin) and House Minority Leader Themis Klarides (R-Derby), this bill creates a task force charged with finding innovative ways to recruit middle and high school students into manufacturing careers.
HB 5423 also directs the Department of Labor to update its apprenticeship website.
Both aspects help address concerns among the manufacturing community to focus on workforce development.
This bill was adopted by the legislature and is awaiting action by the Governor.
HB 5468: Manufacturing Teachers
This bill creates a task force to find ways for overcoming barriers to recruit manufacturing teachers.
Currently there are challenges with recruiting teachers for technical and trade-specific training.
This taskforce, in conjunction with SB 383, is a good step to addressing this time sensitive issue.
HB 5468 was adopted by the legislature and is awaiting action by the Governor.
SB 383: Technical High Schools
SB 383 takes steps to streamline the hiring process for technical high school teachers by allowing the technical high schools superintendent to go directly to the Office of Policy and Management.
This bill was adopted by the legislature and is awaiting action by the Governor.
SB 379: Education Policy
This bill was the vehicle for a number of positive education policy changes.
Not only did it extend and make improvements to the Minority Recruitment Taskforce, but it also addressed alternative routes to certification for teachers.
The bill extends the reporting deadline of the MRT, adds an analysis of minority teacher shortages to its charge, and creates a council within the Department of Education.
Supporting alternative routes to certification is a key step to successfully recruiting qualified teachers.
SB 379 was adopted by the legislature and is awaiting action by the Governor.
SB 24: Independent Colleges
SB 24 allows independent colleges to react more quickly the needs of employers by exempting them from Office of Higher Education approval process for the next two years.
This bill was adopted by the legislature and is awaiting action by the Governor.
For more information, contact CBIA’s Jennifer Herz (860.970.4404) | @CBIAjherz
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