CT Seeks to Curb Unemployment by Injecting $9.9M into Training Future Healthcare Workers

With the unemployment rate still hovering at approximately 9% in Connecticut - as it has been for over a year now — Connecticut politicians are eager to get their citizens back to work.

Having identified an industry that is ready to hire (healthcare), Senator Joe Lieberman, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congressman John Larson, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Congressman Jim Himes recently announced that the United States Department of Labor will provide $9.9 million in workforce development grants to two job-training organizations: Hartford-based, Capital Workforce Partners, and Bridgeport-based, The Workplace, Inc. These two organizations will use their new funding to help Connecticut’s long-term unemployed workers make the transition to healthcare careers.

“During these difficult economic times, Capitol Workforce Partners and The Workplace have been a gateway for many long-term unemployed in the state to reenter the workforce,” Senator Lieberman recently commented. “These valuable grants will support these organizations in their mission to provide the career training and placement assistance that will ultimately lead people to new jobs.”

As Congressman Larson points out, many of the employment opportunities in the U.S. are being shipped abroad because Americans lack adequate training. So while lack of available jobs is one facet of Connecticut’s unemployment problem, the unavailability of skilled workers is another contributing factor.

“This grant is intended to help long term unemployed workers gain the skills they need to compete in fields where we know there is strong demand for skilled workers,” said Congressman Larson. “Better yet, this grant will help Americans become qualified for jobs that employers are currently having to look abroad to fill.  More skills for workers, more American employees for businesses. This grant is a win-win for our community.”

Capital Workforce Partners, which coordinates programs and initiatives to train and educate workers, will receive $4,986,817 of the $9.9 million-grant. The organization will use this money to provide occupational and on-on-the-job healthcare training to unemployed workers.

“This grant comes to us at a most critical time during a challenged economy and at a time when there is a strong need for a growing healthcare workforce,” said Thomas Phillips, President and CEO of Capital Workforce Partners.

The WorkPlace, Inc., which works with local officials and business leaders to develop plans for addressing local unemployment interests, will receive $4,936,845 in grant funding.  The organization will use its share of the $9.9 million to fund an internship program. This program will train participants in healthcare fields and connect prospective employees with employers in the healthcare industry.

“We are grateful to the Department of Labor for this opportunity and look forward to collaborating with our great partners to provide workers with the skills needed to enter healthcare careers,” said The WorkPlace‘s President and CEO, Joseph M. Carbone.

“The WorkPlace, Inc. is a remarkable organization that I have had the privilege of working with for many years now,” commented Congresswoman DeLauro. “…This new program will provide workers with a new set of useful, profitable skills in the health care industry, and ensure that our hospitals and health care providers have access to a highly-trained workforce.”

Related posts:

1. Is Unemployment Decreasing in New England? A Look at New England’s August Unemployment Rates
2. Looking for a Job in Connecticut? Here is a Job Fair
3. Verizon Workers Hit Picket Lines From Mass. to Va.
4. Verizon Workers Return to Work, Without a Deal
5. Is the Current Healthcare System Driving the Nation to Economic Collapse?

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Posted by erik devaney on Oct 6 2011. Filed under Featured - For home page featured article, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry