🔒Workforce Development Conference to explore filling skills gap

Connecticut’s economic outlook will continue to remain murky as the state faces the imminent retirement of baby boomers and the exodus of young people.

That means the work skills of those who remain will play a critical role in the state’s future economic vitality.

There have been many ongoing efforts to address this challenge, most of them seeking to link schools, colleges and job-training programs around the goal of ensuring the population’s workforce readiness. Despite these efforts, businesses continue to voice frustration with finding the right people with the required skills.

For example, CBIA and the Northwest Chamber of Commerce recently released the 2016 Survey of Northwest Connecticut Businesses. It shows that businesses in the state’s Northwest region face many obstacles in filling open positions, with a lack of skilled applicants being the biggest issue, cited by 56 percent of businesses.

Employers also cited a lack of applicants (43 percent), and applicants who are not job-ready (41 percent).

A little over one-third of respondents (36 percent) rated workforce quality as good or excellent; 47 percent said it was average, and 17 percent said it was poor or terrible.

“Developing the next generation of skilled talent should be a top concern for everyone in the state, particularly here,” said Peter Gioia, CBIA economist.

“Our innovative companies need and depend on a highly skilled workforce for their future growth and success.”

There are several untapped segments of the population that could provide the human capital needed to sustain and grow our state’s economy. This includes people returning to our cities and towns post-incarceration, youth out of school and out of work, and our veterans.

While we continue to look to our schools, we can also learn from companies that have successfully filled the skills gap.

Today’s technical high school system provides a unique pathway, one that defines the concept of career technical education – and serves as a powerful model for employer engagement.

Research shows that technical high school students are more likely to complete high school and obtain employment – employment that sets the stage for careers, not just jobs. Technical high school students also graduate to college at roughly equal rates as graduates of traditional high schools.

But another excellent way to address this issue is for businesses that have bridged the gap to share their success with other businesses, and for experts in the field to point to what works in workforce development.

Work It Connecticut!, a workforce development conference hosted by the CBIA Education & Workforce Partnership, will explore these important topics – and more – on Dec. 6 at Infinity Hall in Hartford. This program will discuss innovative workforce solutions.

It will feature Tracy Ariel, director of Advanced Manufacturing and Early College Opportunity Programs for Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, and Erik M. Clemons, president and CEO of Connecticut Center for the Arts & Technology, and a member of the state Board of Education.

Charles “Scott” Semple, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Corrections, and Charles Grady, community outreach specialist for the FBI, will lead a discussion on hiring ex-offenders. In addition, Juan M. Garcia, global leader for career advancement at Amazon, will discuss the online retailer’s program that pre-pays up to 95 percent of tuition for college and industry-certification courses.

This challenge impacts our economy, and with that, every citizen in the state. Be a part of the solution, and join the conversation with us on Dec. 6.

For information and registration, visit cbia.com or call 860.244.1900.

Andrea Comer is executive director, CBIA Education & Workforce Partnership.