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Office of Workforce Strategy seeks sustainability for CareerConnect, launches career accelerator loan design
Summary
The Office of Workforce Strategy told the committee CareerConnect has enrolled tens of thousands of users and trained about 7,500 people under ARPA funding; the office is designing a $5M career accelerator to provide 0% income‑contingent training loans for programs such as CDL and LPN licensure.
The Office of Workforce Strategy (OWS) told legislators it is moving to sustain and scale successful CareerConnect programs and to design a career accelerator to close financing gaps for entry‑level training.
OWS officials said ARPA investment created CareerConnect and that the portal has had roughly 45,000 users and supported about 7,500 people into training with an 80% completion rate and roughly an 80% employment outcome among completers. Bond allocations will be used to plug remaining gaps, sustain high‑performing programs and underwrite supportive services such as transportation and short‑term employment transition support.
The agency is designing a $5 million career accelerator as an evergreen fund to be managed by a contracted fund manager. The accelerator will offer 0% loans for individuals who lack access to other workforce financing (for example, CDL, LPN and certain technical credentials). OWS said loans will be income‑contingent, will include wraparound supports, and will convert to repayment only after a graduate reaches a defined income threshold.
OWS also described smaller pilots funded by prior bond allotments, including basic skills remediation, an AI basics program for community sites, transportation studies and construction‑trade pilots. The agency said pilots are being evaluated and some elements will be folded into the sustainability plan for CareerConnect.
