The town of Hamden’s Department of Economic Development & Neighborhood Revitalization is getting serious about workforce development — specifically, introducing young people to career options in the trades.
Town economic-development officials have announced a new training workshop series aimed at students. Titled “Everyone Gets a Job: Exploring Career and Technical Educational Opportunities,” the series will focus on the workforce readiness of Hamden residents, particularly young people including those entering high school. The series will include workshops on job and career opportunities in principal industries in Hamden and the region.
The workshops are intended to integrate current business workforce needs with educational and training opportunities. Workshops will focus on private sector job opportunities now and over the next decade.
“The biggest challenge for businesses large and small is finding qualified and trained workers,” said Hamden Economic Development Director Dale Kroop. “The workforce needs in real time often outpaces the educational resources in any community. These forums will begin the dialogue between all of our partners to insure that every child has the opportunity for a good paying and satisfying job. It is critical for the future of Hamden’s economy.”
The workshops will be held at public libraries, churches, civic meetings, PTA gatherings and at public schools. The sessions will also be taped for viewing online. “The idea is to hold these sessions where the parents and children are. We want everyone to have knowledge of educational and training opportunities that are out there,” said Kroop.
The workshops will be industry-focused and will concentrate on both public-school options for training and education as well as private-sector offerings. For example, the Hamden public school system introduces students to opportunities in health care and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) which typically directs students onto a four-year college track. However not every student can afford or is interested in those options, Kroop noted.
The program will also explore different pathways for training the current workforce. In the case of information technology, Kroop noted that there are both public and private education options to learn IT skills such as coding, HTML and virtual reality (VR).
Parent information sessions for the workshop series have been scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 27 in the Miller Public Library Friends Room, and 10:30 a.m. Dec. 1 at Brundage Community Library, 91 Circular Ave. To RSVP phone 203-287-7030 or e-mail dkroop@hamden.com
