ETA New Releases, Employment & Training Administration (ETA)

ETA News Release: [July 18, 2007]
Contact Name: Jennifer Coxe and Matthew Faraci
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676 (202) 693-5052

Hartford, Conn.-based organization receives U.S. Labor Department's Recognition of Excellence award for 'building a business-driven workforce investment system'

Honor presented at national Workforce Innovations Conference

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Hartford, Conn.-based Capital Workforce Partners today received the U.S. Department of Labor’s Recognition of Excellence award in the “Building an Industry/Business-Driven Workforce Investment System” category at the national 2007 Workforce Innovations Conference being held in Kansas City, Mo. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco presented the fourth annual honors, which recognize workforce investment system programs from around the country that have achieved outstanding success.

“Our honorees have shown that they are innovative leaders in providing workers with the opportunities and tools to help them compete in today’s global economy,” said DeRocco. “Their outstanding work serves as a model for others to learn from and apply to their own regional economic and talent development strategies.”

The Ready, Aim, Hire!program,a targeted business service delivery system for north central Connecticut, leverages funds from state and regional incumbent worker training programs to improve worker skills in selected industries. Since 2005, Capital Workforce Partners has secured $1.3 million for training more than 2,200 workers in the region.

The program was born from the selection of four industry growth clusters for workforce development by Capital Workforce Partners: allied health, advanced manufacturing, business and finance, and hospitality/retail/customer service. Successes of Ready, Aim, Hire! include more than 25,000 hours of employee training over two years, a $675,000 cash match from the private sector and high business satisfaction with the incumbent worker training program.

The Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration presents Recognition of Excellence honors in five categories. The “Building an Industry/Business-Driven Workforce Investment System” category responds to the needs of business, while preparing a skilled workforce to further career growth.

The Workforce Innovations Conference provides an annual opportunity for state and local government representatives, private sector workforce and economic development officials, and educators to collaborate on workforce issues.

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