Joan Hartley

Sen. Hartley Leads Passage of Bill to Expand Career Training Opportunities

HARTFORD, CT – As Senate Chair of the Commerce Committee, State Senator Joan Hartley led unanimous passage of Senate Bill 869 which would require the Office of Workforce Strategy to plan an expansion of their Connecticut Career Accelerator Program.

“The Career Accelerator Program has been crucial in providing affordable and accessible training, but currently only supports one sector of our workforce.” said Sen. Hartley. “This program has much potential and I am eager to see the findings of the Office of Workforce Strategy. I look forward to working with OWS on policies to expand workforce training which can be completed within one year and will help to address critical workforce shortages.”

Under current law, the Connecticut Career Accelerator Program supports those pursuing a commercial drivers license by using income share agreements. Income share agreements offer applicants funding for training in exchange for a fixed, zero-interest repayment once they begin their career. These agreements do not require good credit, nor a co-signer.

Senate Bill 869 tasks the Office of Workforce Strategy to plan an expansion of this program through identifying additional career training opportunities, identify training providers and submit a report identifying their findings to the General Assembly by no later than July 1, 2025.