State workforce official outlines CareerConnect outreach as a path to get more women into manufacturing

Kelly Valeriz (introduced in the record with variant spellings), chief workforce officer for the Office of Workforce Strategy, told the Higher Education Committee that increasing women’s access to manufacturing careers is a policy priority and described multiple outreach efforts tied to SB 1260.

Valeriz said the manufacturing sector contributes roughly $31 billion in GDP and generated about $434 million in state tax revenue in 2023 (figures cited during testimony). She described CareerConnect, a statewide marketing and training portal launched in November 2022 and initially supported with federal ARPA funds, as a “virtual front door” that has registered tens of thousands of people and enrolled more than 6,000 — with the witness later estimating closer to 7,000 trained participants. Valeriz said roughly 35,000 people had registered interest in programs via the portal.

Programs singled out for outreach to women include ElevateHER and a Connecticut women‑in‑manufacturing chapter; Valeriz described regional roadshows that draw between 500 and 1,000 high school students per region to introduce manufacturing pathways. She said approximately 30% of manufacturing jobs in Connecticut are held by women, similar to national averages, and that state efforts aim to raise that share by expanding training, mentorship and employer partnerships.

Committee members asked about remaining funding and sustainability. Valeriz said CareerConnect’s original funding has been fully obligated and that some pockets of money remain to fund 650–700 participants to finish sector‑based training; she noted the governor has proposed reallocating $30 million in bond dollars for a workforce innovation and sustainability fund that could support continuity for CareerConnect and related programs if authorized.

Lawmakers and Valeriz discussed outreach to young people and CTE programs, tracking participation by ZIP code and using that data to focus marketing on high‑unemployment municipalities. The witness said CareerConnect measured ZIP codes of portal registrants and mapped targeted outreach accordingly. Valeriz encouraged committee collaboration to refine the bill and align it with existing programs and capacity constraints.

The record shows committee interest in preserving and funding CareerConnect’s outreach and ensuring the proposed legislation complements rather than duplicates current state efforts. No formal committee vote on SB 1260 is recorded in the transcript excerpt.