Carpino Boosts Young Adult Job-Training Program

HARTFORD- State Rep. Christie Carpino (Cromwell & Portland) was able to get a key job training provision attached to an education bill during the this week’s legislative session.  The bill, which passed the House unanimously, will provide additional on-the-job training opportunities for our high school and college students.

Carpino said, “This bill is exactly what I’d hoped to accomplish when I came to Hartford. It is an opportunity for students to explore career opportunities at a young age. This bill enables students to explore career opportunities at a young age in order to help them better plan a future. An engaged student is a motivated learner, and a motivated learner is a wonderful asset for a local business. An educated workforce is a driver for a healthier economy.”

The bill would connect local employers to teens throughout Connecticut, in an effort to cultivate real life job skills.

Since her arrival at the State Capitol, Carpino has worked to promote more job opportunities for our young adults through both proposed legislation and community involvement. Carpino’s proposed legislation would permit high schools, technical high schools and regional agricultural science and technology education centers to establish partnerships with local businesses that would provide internships for students.

The jobs provision LCO 5191 introduced by Carpino is modeled after the Step Up Program instituted by the Department of Labor to focus on career development and apprenticeship opportunities for teens. The Step Up program helps small businesses hire unemployed adults and expand their workforce. The program, administered by the CT Department of Labor and the state’s five Workforce Investment Boards, helps small businesses hire employees and expand their workforce.