Tim Ackert

(HARTFORD) — On Thursday, State Representative Tim Ackert (R-Coventry) testified in strong support of a House Republican Caucus proposal seeking to grow our skilled labor workforce by establishing a new career pipeline. In his joint testimony with Jim Perras, CEO of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Connecticut (HBRA), and Jennifer Jennings, Executive Director of the Connecticut Heating and Cooling Contractors Association (CHCC), Ackert stated that House Bill 5704, An Act Creating a Construction Pipeline Program, offers a multifaceted approach to build a larger and more robust construction workforce.

Ackert, who has led advocacy efforts for skilled workforce development outlined the proposal’s four main policy recommendations: increase pre-apprenticeship education funding, expand the apprenticeship tax credit, amend the apprenticeship hiring ratio, and establish a Construction Pipeline Working Group.

“These are good paying jobs that need to be filled,” said Ackert on Thursday. “This proposal would allow employers to hire more apprentices and would open doors for students to learn more skills and opportunities in successful careers in the construction trades. Additionally, this bill establishes a Construction Pipeline Working Group that submits recommendations for training, education, and other ways we can strengthen the construction workforce throughout our state.”

As a longtime apprenticeship sponsor, Ackert seeks to use this bill as an incentive for both local and statewide investment in apprentices and our trades. On a larger level, he suggests increasing the apprenticeship training tax credit from $4,000 to $7,500 and extending the tax credit eligibility to pass-through entities encouraging a greater number of construction firms to invest in training apprentices. At a local level, this expands the pre-apprenticeship grant program and incentivizes school districts to receive grants upon inserting skilled labor education in their curriculums.

Finally, the Construction Pipeline Working Group would study and propose changes to the expansion of the pre-apprenticeship grant program in public, middle, and high schools as well as bring awareness to career opportunities in the skilled trades and removal of regulatory barriers that currently hinder the growth of our workforce. Both Jim Perras and Jennifer Jennings spoke in detail about how these ideas, when implemented, can help resolve concerns on housing and education across Connecticut.

“Connecticut’s housing industry is at a crisis,” said Perras. “We face severe skilled labor shortages with average construction worker ages at 45 years old, and if we don’t act now, this shortage will worsen and delay much needed housing production, slowing job creation, and jeopardizing our state’s energy efficiency goals.”

Jennings added, “A lot of the initiatives coming out of this building directly relate to the construction trades and there’s an absolute shortage. By putting together a program in public high schools, which would keep students and funds local, students could take advantage of programs that supply credits introducing them to the apprentices at a young age.”

Rep. Ackert looks forward to keeping constituents updated on his advocacy for the skilled labor workforce and encourages all interested parties to follow him on social media and subscribe to his newsletter at www.RepAckert.com. For more information about this legislation or any of Rep. Ackert’s proposals, please visit www.tinyurl.com/Ackert2025Bills.