Connecticut is committed to fostering a competitive workforce that enables individuals and organizations to thrive economically in a time of rapid and constant technological change. With an eye on the future, its leaders have recognized that they must fully leverage its higher education ecosystem in collaboration with businesses in the state to meet the growing demand for tech talent.
In 2022, the state of Connecticut provided funds to launch the Tech Talent Accelerator (TTA), led by the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) and the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE). This investment, followed by another round of funding in 2023, leveraged BHEF’s partnership methodology to catalyze the development of higher education-business partnerships and create new tech talent pathways to high-demand fields like cybersecurity, data analytics, game design and more. Across two phases of the initiative, TTA developed 15 new or updated business-validated pathways and credentials with 26 Connecticut employers and 12 institutions of higher education. These programs enrolled over 700 learners who earned nearly 120 industry-recognized credentials and over 100 of whom participated in related internships.
To keep CT at the forefront of technological change, a third round of investment in TTA will focus on building AI skills pathways and partnerships to ensure CT workers are equipped with the skills and credentials needed across all jobs and disciplines. Please see below for more details.
Request for Proposals
The Connecticut Tech Talent Accelerator has launched TTA 3.0 Pilot Grants.
Program Details
To meet the burgeoning demand for AI-skilled tech talent and keep Connecticut’s workforce competitive, the state must deploy its entire higher education ecosystem, including community colleges, four-year public and independent colleges and universities, and the K-12 system. Each sector and institution has a critical role to play in preparing graduates for the workplace, and in reskilling and upskilling incumbent workers.
TTA 3.0 will increase AI skills acquisition in Connecticut through strong business-higher education partnerships, with a focus on four priority areas:
- Reskill/Upskill the Tech Workforce for AI Competencies: Develop short-term post-secondary programs (or update existing ones) focused on reskilling and upskilling those currently employed within industries that have a high demand for AI competencies.
- Align Post-Secondary Training Programs with Industry AI Needs: Embed industry-recognized credentials to align post-secondary training programs with the AI skills needs of Connecticut businesses.
- Expand Work-Integrated Learning Opportunities: Create AI-focused work-integrated learning models that meet learner and employer needs and goals, providing additional feedback loops between the classroom and workplace and strengthening the state’s talent pipeline.
- Create Pathways to AI Skills Development for Secondary Students: Develop dual-enrollment pathways or short-term secondary programs aimed at preparing secondary students with AI skills.
Related Resources
Contact
Email: techtalentaccelerator@bhef.com
Candace Williams, Senior Director, BHEF
Madison Myers, Manager of Workforce Programs, BHEF
Robert Merth, Associate Director of Policy & Research, NEBHE
