Office of Workforce Strategy details CT Health Horizons, Tech Talent and CareerConnect outcomes; proposes new Career Accelerator and WISE fund

Dr. Kelly Balares, director of the Office of Workforce Strategy (OWS), briefed the Higher Education Employment Advancement Committee on the agency’s major workforce programs and next steps, including CT Health Horizons, the Tech Talent Accelerator, CareerConnect and a proposed Career Accelerator to supply zero‑interest loans and supportive services for learners.

The update, delivered Oct. 12 during an informational hearing, detailed outcomes from ARPA‑funded investments and other grants and outlined a request to reauthorize a new Workforce Innovation and Sustainability (WISE) fund to preserve and scale programs after one‑time funding expires.

Why it matters

Balares told lawmakers the programs aim to expand training pathways tied to industry demand while removing barriers—child care, transportation and other supports—that prevent people from completing credentials and entering careers. "We want to make workforce work for everybody," Balares said, summarizing OWS’s mission and strategy.

What OWS reported

CT Health Horizons. Balares said CT Health Horizons was built to expand health‑care pipelines by increasing tuition support, boosting faculty capacity and piloting accelerated and practice‑based programs. Using $35,000,000 in ARPA funds administered through the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) system, OWS reported issuing "1,662 scholarships," which the presentation described as about 38% above an initial goal of 1,200. The program also expanded faculty capacity across institutions and created multi‑year faculty hires to sustain clinical instruction and…