Lawmakers Consider Skilled Trades Hiring Reforms

State lawmakers are considering much-needed reforms to apprenticeship hiring ratios in the skilled trades.

The General Assembly’s Commerce Committee is planning a public hearing on HB 6786, designed to address the labor shortage in the skilled trades and expand hiring opportunities.

Introduced by Rep. Jill Barry (D-Glastonbury), the bill conforms the current apprenticeship hiring ratio—three journeypeople to one apprentice—to the job site ratio of 1:1.

Current state law requires one journeyperson or contractor on site for each apprentice across all registered apprenticeship trades.

However, for the electrical, plumbing, heating, piping, and cooling trades, Connecticut mandates a different, more restrictive apprenticeship hiring ratio.

For example, the hiring ratio starts at 1:1 for the first three apprentices but scales to a 3:1 ratio, creating hiring restrictions for companies across those five skills.

Labor Shortage

HB 6786 aligns with one of CBIA’s 2025 ReimagineCT policy solutions, which are supported by a bipartisan group of 73 legislators and designed to address the state’s labor shortage and grow career opportunities.

The bill is supported by a number of organizations, including CBIA, Homebuilders and Remodelers Association of Connecticut, Independent Electrical Contractors of New England, Connecticut Heating and Cooling Contractors Association, Associated Builders and Contractors of Connecticut, and the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

Supporters highlight four major benefits of reforming apprenticeship hiring ratios:

1. Housing Development and Availability: Connecticut’s housing shortage—expanding the skilled trades workforce speeds up residential and commercial construction and accelerates housing development, leading to improved availability that will attract businesses and residents. A more robust workforce also supports affordable housing projects, helping alleviate cost pressures.
2. Workforce Development: Restrictive ratios discourage and hinder businesses from hiring apprentices, limiting opportunities for young people to enter the trades and increasing the skills gap. Allowing businesses to hire more apprentices provides greater exposure and training opportunities for young workers, helping address the growing demand for skilled tradespeople and reducing the reliance on out-of-state labor.
3. License and Registration Fees: Restrictive hiring ratios limit the number of apprentices that businesses can hire, directly capping apprenticeship and license registration fees, resulting in lower revenues collected by the state.
4. Income Tax Revenue: Restrictive ratios reduce workforce entry of apprentices, slowing their progression to higher-paying journeyperson roles. A larger skilled workforce enables more projects to be undertaken simultaneously, increasing overall state GDP and tax revenues.

“Connecticut is at a crossroads when it comes to housing development, workforce development, and upgrading our infrastructure and energy reliability system,” said CBIA’s Paul Amarone.

“Reforming hiring ratios is one of the most effective and immediate actions policymakers can take to ensure we’re building a skilled trades workforce and in keeping up with housing, infrastructure, and energy reliability needs and upgrades.”

The Commerce Committee is expected to hold a public hearing on HB 6786 in the coming weeks.

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For more information, contact CBIA’s Paul Amarone (860.244.1978).