BHEF Announces Tech Talent Accelerator AI Workforce Innovation Awards to Seven Connecticut Institutions

February 2, 2026 - The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) today announced the selection of seven Connecticut colleges and universities to participate in the pilot phase of the Connecticut Tech Talent Accelerator 3.0 (TTA 3.0), a statewide initiative bringing together industry and education to expand artificial intelligence (AI) education and workforce readiness across high-impact sectors. 

TTA 3.0 is designed to accelerate the development of AI-skilled talent by supporting higher education institutions in expanding applied AI programs aligned with employer needs. The pilot cohort will serve learners preparing for careers in engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, business, and cybersecurity through a mix of credit-bearing courses, non-credit microcredentials, and work-based learning experiences. 

As the lead TTA 3.0 implementation partner, BHEF is working closely with institutions to ensure programs are employer-informed, outcomes-driven, and scalable. In addition to administering the competitive grant process, BHEF, and its partner, the New England Board of Higher Education, are providing ongoing technical assistance to participating institutions, including employer engagement, competency mapping, curriculum alignment, credential strategy, work-based learning design, and performance measurement. This hands-on approach is intended to help institutions move rapidly from pilot concepts to sustainable models that can be integrated into degree pathways and workforce systems statewide to produce greater scale and resilience. 

The seven pilot institutions and focus areas include: 

• Connecticut College will integrate applied AI skills and competencies into three credit-bearing accounting and entrepreneurship courses.  
• Fairfield University will embed AI competencies into nursing education through curriculum enhancements, workshops, and a non-credit digital badge, as well as engage undergraduate computer science students in an 8-week summer experience creating AI-enabled nursing simulation tools. 
• Quinnipiac University will develop an 8-week online program focused on AI fundamentals in healthcare business innovation. 
• Southern Connecticut State University will expand its AI in Manufacturing program to include quantum computing concepts through a new non-credit microcredential. 
• University of Connecticut will deliver a cross-disciplinary, industry-inspired AI workflow agent microcredential with stackability into existing engineering degree pathways.  
• University of New Haven will launch an AI for Cybersecurity concentration within its BS in Cybersecurity program. 
• University of Saint Joseph will revise and create four credit-bearing courses and launch a Certificate in Applied AI for Business that incorporate capstones, internships, and challenge-based experiences. 

Together, these projects will serve hundreds of students and working professionals, ensure that Connecticut’s education sector is responsive to industry needs, and test new approaches to AI education that respond to rapidly shifting workforce demand. 

“Congratulations to each of the institutions that have been selected. Their work demonstrates the power of partnerships between business and higher education to build the workforce of the future,” said Kristen Fox, President and CEO of the Business-Higher Education Forum. “TTA 3.0 is a model of this approach in action, enabling employers to shape curricula and applied learning while higher education delivers the talent Connecticut needs to thrive in the AI economy.” 

TTA 3.0 builds on the success of earlier Tech Talent Accelerator rounds by deepening the focus on AI and by pairing institutional innovation with structured support and cross-cohort learning. Insights from the pilot phase will inform a second round of grants anticipated in mid-2026, which will support additional AI programs shaped by lessons learned and emerging employer needs. 

Through TTA 3.0, BHEF is honored to continue to advance critical work to align education and workforce systems, helping states, institutions, and employers work together to prepare learners for the jobs of the future. 

For more information about the Connecticut Tech Talent Accelerator, visit bhef.com/techtalentaccelerator.