Connecticut’s Workforce Needs an ‘All-of-the-Above’ Approach

The Connecticut Department of Labor’s latest employment projections offer important insights into where our state’s economy is headed and underscore the need for coordinated workforce development strategies that span all education levels.

With Connecticut projected to add nearly 39,000 jobs by the second quarter of 2026, the distribution of these opportunities tells a clear story about the diversity of skills our economy demands.

It’s worth noting that Connecticut has the third oldest workforce in the country—the addition of 39,000 jobs in the next 12 months will require additional labor force growth to offset the higher level of retirements.

Occupational projections reveal that 55.7% of jobs in 2026 will be accessible to workers with a high school education or equivalent—virtually unchanged from today’s 55.9%.

That represents nearly 17,000 of the state’s projected new positions.

Occupational Concentration

That growth is concentrated in occupations where students can build meaningful careers directly from high school:

• Healthcare support (+2,787 jobs): spanning medical assistants to pharmacy technicians
• Transportation and logistics (+3,355 jobs): driven by companies like Amazon’s potential Waterbury-area distribution center
• Manufacturing (+4,315 jobs): particularly in aerospace and defense, with General Dynamics Electric Boat projecting 5,000 annual hires
• Food service and hospitality (+3,270 jobs): offering clear opportunities to build the skills workers need for successful careers
• Construction (+2,135 jobs): providing pathways through training and apprenticeships

These numbers make the case for continued state coordination on work-based learning opportunities for high school students.

When over half of our economic growth depends on workers who can enter the workforce directly from high school—often with industry certifications or apprenticeships—fragmented approaches to workforce preparation become a competitive disadvantage.

College Graduates Drive Innovation Economy

However, focusing solely on high school pathways misses a critical piece of the puzzle.

The same projections show that 43% of job growth will occur in occupations requiring bachelor’s degrees or higher—representing approximately 16,600 new positions in fields like healthcare management, engineering, and professional services.

This creates both opportunity and challenge. Federal cuts to higher education funding and changes to student borrowing programs threaten to make college less accessible precisely when we need more graduates.

The most successful companies in our projected growth sectors require talent at every education level.

Connecticut’s recent expansion of the Roberta Willis scholarship program—providing annual funds for students attending in-state institutions—represents the kind of state-level response needed to maintain our talent pipeline.

The most successful companies in our projected growth sectors require talent at every education level.

Manufacturers like Electric Boat, Sikorsky, and Pratt & Whitney need both skilled production workers and engineers. Expanding healthcare systems need both medical assistants and nurse practitioners.

Strengthening Recognition, Coordination

These workforce projections align directly with recommendations from the CBIA Foundation’s Opportunity Connecticut report, which calls for reimagining how we measure educational success.

As we build comprehensive talent pathways, Connecticut should evaluate how our district report cards recognize robust work-based learning programs.

The report’s recommendations include updating the state report card system to evaluate and fund schools with a broader model that aligns education outcomes with economic needs—specifically recognizing experiential learning opportunities like internships, apprenticeships, and industry partnerships alongside traditional college preparation metrics.

Connecticut should evaluate how our district report cards recognize robust work-based learning programs.

The report also emphasizes the need to inventory and align Connecticut’s post-secondary opportunities to make it easier for students and families to identify programs that provide in-demand skills and certifications needed by employers.

Combined with the call to reimagine graduation standards for relevance and workforce alignment, these recommendations create a framework for comprehensive talent development.

When Waterbury students gain manufacturing skills that lead directly to careers at local plants, or when New London students earn healthcare certifications addressing regional hospital staffing needs, these represent educational success stories that should drive both recognition and investment.

Looking Ahead

The current economic environment—marked by tariff impacts, federal funding cuts, and market volatility—makes coordinated workforce development even more essential.

Connecticut businesses face significant headwinds, and our ability to fill jobs at every skill level with local talent becomes a crucial competitive advantage.

Our ability to fill jobs at every skill level with local talent becomes a crucial competitive advantage.

We cannot afford an either-or approach between high school and college preparation.

Connecticut needs both pathways functioning effectively, with clear advancement opportunities between them.

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About the author: Dustin Nord is director of the CBIA Foundation for Economic Growth & Opportunity.