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Forum pushes Connecticut TAP, employer incentives and a single landing page to keep veterans working in-state
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Summary
At a Veterans and Military Affairs Committee Troops to Trades forum, employers, unions and nonprofits urged a Connecticut Transition Assistance Program (CT TAP), better outreach, and a state employer tax credit to turn training into steady jobs for veterans and retain them in Connecticut.
HARTFORD — Stakeholders at a Veterans and Military Affairs Committee Troops to Trades public forum on Tuesday pressed lawmakers to build a Connecticut-specific Transition Assistance Program and a single public “landing page” to connect veterans with jobs, training and local resources.
Jim King, president of Elgin Corporation, told the committee a state TAP would capture veterans during their transition and route them to Connecticut programs that federal TAP does not cover. “If we had a moment to capture that veteran when they return to the state and put them through their own TAP program, we can promote all the programs here in the state that are gonna help that veteran transition,” King said.
Supporters said better coordination could reduce underemployment and out-migration of veterans. Robin Sharp, president and CEO of Easterseals Capital Region, said Veterans Rally Point serves more than 2,000 military service members and families annually and that Connecticut’s veteran underemployment rate is about 23 percent. She urged the committee to include military spouses in any statewide program, noting spouse unemployment estimates of roughly 16–21 percent.
Several witnesses recommended state-level incentives for employers. King and other employer representatives said restoring or creating a Connecticut work opportunity tax credit would encourage hiring of veterans. “We would like to incentivize companies to hire veterans by offering a state-level work opportunity tax credit,” King said; the business group CBIA has proposed bringing that credit back into state law.
Panelists repeatedly raised communication and “no wrong door” access as central problems. Katie, president of the National Guard Association affiliate that testified, urged changing statutory language to explicitly include currently serving guardsmen and to expand access to Department of Labor and Department of Veterans Affairs services for guard members. Sam Barrett, who helped build a Connecticut Commitment to the Troops pilot, catalogued dozens of manufacturing-support organizations and urged a single champion agency to simplify outreach.
Nonprofit and private programs that place veterans into jobs described complementary approaches. Bill Leahy of Unturning Steel said his nonprofit uses DOD SkillBridge placement and individualized coaching to move veterans into manufacturing roles and cited limited federal transition outcomes as a reason for state action. Joe Toner of the unionized building trades emphasized Helmets to Hard Hats, a direct-entry pathway into apprenticeship programs, and urged stronger discharge- and TAP-level outreach so veterans know the opportunities exist.
Committee members and witnesses stressed several near-term next steps: drafting CT TAP legislation that coordinates state agencies and programs; identifying a single public landing page or portal that aggregates SkillBridge, Helmets to Hard Hats, Hire Our Heroes and local resources; and considering employer incentives such as a state tax credit. Several panelists offered to brief staff and share outreach materials and program listings.
The committee did not take formal action at the forum. Chairs said testimony will inform language for a priority Troops to Trades bill this session and that staff would follow up with witnesses and agencies about implementation options.
