Career ConneCT, a new state workforce initiative, is connecting people to free training that is needed to become commercial drivers, along with trainings for a range of other high-demand positions.
The program connects people to training across several industries including healthcare, transportation, manufacturing and information technology. Career ConneCT is backed by an investment of $70 million, with $4.5 million being invested in commercial driver's licensing.
According to the state's Chief Workforce Officer Dr. Kelli Vallieres, there are more than 11,000 open jobs for commercial drivers right now.
"There are not enough people to fill all of the jobs that we have, so we have to make sure that these jobs are really accessible and the training is really accessible," said Vallieres.
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Career ConneCT covers the cost of the training program in addition to several support services.
Michael Williams, of East Hartford, will take his road test this week. He said he would not have been able to afford the training required to obtain his commercial driver's license (CDL) on his own.
“You don’t always have an extra $5,000 to pay for the training, and that’s a barrier," said Williams.
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Once a trainee completes their training, they are also connected with potential employers.
Capital Workforce Partners works with potential employees and employers. They described the need for commercial drivers as "critical."
In addition to working as a commercial truck driver, a CDL is required to become a school bus driver in Connecticut. The school bus industry has been struggling to fill positions for years.
“It is getting better and we are working to fill the need, but it is a constant battle," said Donald DeVivo, president at DATTCO.
The New Britain-based transportation company is about 120 employees stronger than this time last year, though they can still hire about 50 to 100 school bus drivers right now.
DATTCO offers training for their drivers, but the capacity is limited. The company is hoping Career ConneCT can supplement their training by sending more CDL drivers their way.
“The more drivers we can put in the system as a whole, the better off it is for everybody," said DeVivo.
To learn more about Career ConneCT, click here.
