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(HARTFORD) – In order to make money, you need to go to college, right? State Representative Tim Ackert (R-Coventry) wants to think differently. In a recent legislative roundtable on workforce development, Ackert invited several statewide trade, business, education, and housing advocates to address the high demand for skilled labor workers while proposing smart solutions to combat the housing crisis and prepare students for sustainable careers. As a promoter of state colleges, licensed electrician, and decades-long apprenticeship sponsor, Ackert wants to use his experience in post-secondary education to expand youth access to skilled labor opportunities.

“This is more than just a labor issue, but an issue affecting housing, education, and economic development,” said Ackert on Tuesday. “Right now, our skilled labor workforce is retiring faster than it’s hiring because of outdated regulations that suppress the careers of thousands of prospective trade workers. Our goal today was to open the conversation to a variety of perspectives, from school administrators to affordable housing advocates, because tackling bureaucratic challenges to grow our trades takes a united effort.”

Ackert, who has dedicated much of his time in the legislature to amending apprenticeship hiring ratios for certain trades, co-hosted the event with Jim Perras, CEO of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association (HBRA) of Connecticut, who address how the workforce shortage is exacerbating the current housing crisis in Connecticut. Perras, who has submitted several opinion articles in support of Ackert’s proposals, expressed his excitement for the discussion and what he believes elected officials must do to support our trades.

“Our solution to growing this critically needed workforce is rooted in expanding access to educational opportunities that expose students to the trades in our public schools,” said Perras. “By introducing students to skilled labor careers at a younger age, we can propel them in to rewarding careers, help them to earn more, reduce personal debt and potentially stay in Connecticut, which is becoming increasingly unaffordable. This means supporting our public schools that offer pre-apprenticeship programs. Additionally, it’s important that we learn from other states fighting this same battle, some of which have added value to existing pre-apprenticeship programs by cross mapping their curriculum with registered apprenticeship programs, and in some cases, waiving the first year of four-year apprenticeship program.

Other participating groups included the Connecticut Business Industry Association (CBIA), Thurgood Industries, Encon Heating & AC, Lincoln Tech, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Earthlight Technologies, Associated Builders and Contractors of Connecticut (ABC), Connecticut Heating and Cooling Contractors Association (CHCCA), the CT Office of Workforce Strategy, as well as Mary Anne Butler, Superintendent of Stonington Public Schools.

“I often hear from students who say that the current curriculum is just not working for them,” said Butler. “The college preparatory curriculum has become less relevant which is why we have invested in innovative educational programming that exposes students to a broad spectrum of skilled labor opportunities. Supporting a career pipeline comes with making changes to an antiqued curriculum and adapting to the needs of our workforce in Connecticut.”

Kelli-Marie Vallieres, PhD, Chief Workforce Officer in the CT Office of Workforce Strategy, added, “Connecticut is receiving grants to install alternative clean energy sources, like offshore wind and solar, but it’s impossible to complete without a strong trade workforce. Last year, the offshore wind industry hired over 80,000 trade workers and is on track to hire more this year; meanwhile these statutory ratios are limiting the success of that industry in our state. This may affect labor, economic development, housing, and education, but it also has an adverse effect on our environment as well.”

Ackert concluded, “The solution goes beyond simply amending our apprenticeship hiring ratios to reflect the 1:1 job site ratio, but also incorporating skilled labor career opportunities into our education system and giving young residents a stable financial future. I hope that opponents to this change understand that our discussion directly supports our workers and simultaneously combats the housing crisis, bolsters our economy, and helps our local students learn, live, and stay in Connecticut for future generations.”