LOCAL DATA
Workforce Training
In the Greater Bridgeport Area, nothing is more important than preparing our students for jobs or higher education programs.
More than 70% of the adult population in the region have completed at least some post-secondary education; firms looking to expand or relocate to the area will benefit from a growing number of highly educated and trained workers.
Public-private partnerships are working with the area’s Boards of Education to expand occupational and vocational education programs. These partnerships are also working to:
- improve conduits from the schools to area universities
- expand university programs that contribute to a skilled and capable workforce
- work with the state’s technical schools to ensure the efficacy of programs
- promote increases in continuing education opportunities
- engage private companies in establishing training programs and apprenticeships
The WorkPlace, Inc.
The WorkPlace, Inc. is a major, multi-state job training and enterprise non-profit center. The service administers workforce development funds and coordinates job training and education program providers. It conducts comprehensive planning and coordinates regional and state-wide workforce development programs to prepare people for careers while strengthening the workforce for employers. Programs include job training, career services, and employment for talent who may include youth, adults and mature workers, veterans, and people re-entering the workforce after extended periods out of the labor force, including those formerly incarcerated.
Housatonic Community College
Housatonic Community College’s Office of Workforce Development & Continuing Education supports a variety of industries by providing high-quality job training, employee development opportunities, and continuing education to maximize employee job success and career pathways.
LifeBridge Community Services
LifeBridge’s WorkSkills program offers integrated workforce education and social service programming to help young adults and adults overcome barriers to gainful employment. The program offers Occupational Skills Certifications including training in Customer Service, Hospitality, and Technology Applications. WorkSkills also provides on-site customized, employer-specific skills enhancement instruction in work readiness, customer service, digital literacy, numeracy, reading, and industry-specific English vocabulary.
Career Resources, Inc.
The nonprofit Career Resources, Inc. in Bridgeport has launched The Bridge on Main, an initiative designed to provide job training and placement services for individuals returning to the workforce. A variety of programs are offered to help train and employ formerly incarcerated persons.
Apprenticeships
Registered apprentices earn while they learn, mastering a trade through a combination of on-the-job training and classroom instruction. These programs increase workforce recruitment and proficiency, help employers transfer occupational skills to a new generation of workers, and ensure succession planning.
Connecticut corporations may earn tax credits for employing full-time apprentices for a minimum of two years and a maximum of four years in the manufacturing, plastics, plastics-related, or construction trades. The qualified apprenticeship training programs must be registered with the Connecticut State Apprenticeship Council
Technology Talent Bridge Internship Program (TTB)
TTB is a grant opportunity for innovation-driven small businesses in Connecticut to provide funding for the hire of student interns. The program’s primary objective is to develop a talent “bridge” between the small business and the student. The program is designed to: stimulate job creation through innovation; provide stronger links between Connecticut companies and university students, reducing the likelihood that graduates will leave Connecticut; and facilitate post-graduation hiring of students by Connecticut companies.