Capital Workforce Partners (CWP) is thrilled to read Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele’s “Connecticut Business Takes Flight” editorial in the 12/17 Hartford Business Journal. Each and every day CWP is supported by its Chief and Elected Officials Consortium, private/public sector board members, and professional staff and community agency partners to address the work force challenges of businesses so they continue to prosper in the North Central Connecticut region. Furthermore, Lt. Gov. Fedele referred to the fact that “teamwork is what will make us successful as a state,” and Capital Workforce Partners couldn’t agree more.
In the case of our growing airport, we even take it a step further, and have supported the growing work force needs of the airport’s 125 area service vendors by teaming with our partners up the I-91 corridor into Massachusetts to conduct a comprehensive job fair for retail and service positions. Leading this effort is Janet Gemmiti of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) — who also is a business services consultant on CWP’s nationally award-winning CTWorks Business Services Team. This team is a collaboration of representatives from CWP, CBIA, the state Department of Labor and the region’s chambers of commerce — all working together — to reach out to businesses in the region, large and small, and support them with complimentary recruiting support and leveraged training funds to advance existing workers. The airport vendor job fair will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. near the Sheraton.
Lt. Gov. Fedele’s article also mentioned the great work the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) is doing to advance economic development, and encourage more innovation and leadership in the technology arena in our state. CPW is working with CCAT, who is represented on our board by its CEO Elliot Ginsburg, along with the state labor department, Office of Work force Competitiveness, CBIA, Metro Hartford Alliance, state Department of Economic and Community Development, the state’s community colleges and technical high school system, New England Spring Manufacturers Association, area chambers of commerce, manufacturing businesses, etc. on an emerging Manufacturing Coalition — to work on a marketing campaign that will change the perception and understanding of manufacturing in our state. While old-style manufacturing is not a “growing” industry, advanced manufacturing combined with the attrition of an aging work force is making it more difficult for businesses to find and retain qualified talent. The Manufacturing Coalition is working toward making that message loud and clear, recognizing that manufacturing offers high value professions, attractive wages, benefits and opportunities for advancement. Again, teamwork is what will make us successful.
Work force investment boards like CWP have federal funding to address the needs of “welfare to work” constituents and the working poor who need to develop skills to reach a self-sufficient future. But our responsibilities go far beyond that, assisting workers who have been “dislocated” due to an abundance of changing business needs; addressing work force shortages in higher skilled areas like those in manufacturing and allied healthcare; or preparing today’s challenged youth to be work force solutions for tomorrow’s businesses. We applaud the lieutenant governor’s message and will do what we can to ensure team success and economic prosperity for the state.
Rodney Powell, chairman of CWP board of directors, and Steve Cassano, chairman of the Consortium of Chief and Elected Officials, also signed this opinion piece.
