State, Education And National Guard Officials Talk Career Pathways At CT High School

NEWINGTON, CT — Young people looking to kickstart their careers have a new tool at their disposal, according to state officials.

The State Department of Education and the Department of Labor recently launched its annual CT Career Pathways booklet aimed at helping young people identify  job openings. While the program has existed for almost 40 years, the Connecticut Career Pathways Commission launched this year to track statewide education and career opportunities to ensure that job seekers are met with a range of job opportunities when entering into the workforce.

“Connecticut Career Paths is truly a collaboration between agencies, experts, and professionals who can help prepare, resource, and guide job seekers of all ages,” said CT Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo. “It works in conjunction with other federal and state programs that prioritize career readiness for young people and provides a foundational document and points of discussion between young people, their families, and educators.”

In addition to listing over 360 job openings, the booklet offers counseling for resume-building, interview preparation and credentials required for specific positions. The booklet also includes numbers pertaining to salaries, employees and annual postings for each employer listed.

“It’s more than just guidance on how to conduct a job search or write a resume — it identifies what the economy looks like overall, which industries are growing, what the salary ranges look like, and how to prepare to compete in the field,” said Bartolomeo.

Newington High School recently hosted representatives from the Department of Education and the National Guard, alongside Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz to promote the booklet and career development opportunities to its students.

Bysiewicz said the event’s purpose was to inform Connecticut high school students of the opportunities available to them upon graduation. Event speakers discussed a wide range of career pathways including the building trades, advanced manufacturing and healthcare.

The booklet is “different from year-to-year to reflect new career pathways [and] new training programs,” said Bysiewicz. It also reflects the work the Governor’s Workforce Council (GWC) has been doing to help fill the estimated 80,000 available positions in the state.

Representatives from the National Guard also attended the event to discuss opportunities to join the armed forces and receive state-funded college tuition.

“The guardsmen who answer the call when Connecticut needs them once sat where these seniors sit today, weighing what to do after high school,” said Assistant Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Michael J. Sipples of the Connecticut National Guard. “Helping young people find their path is part of how we serve this state. We want every student to know they can build a future here and serve their neighbors at the same time.”

The booklet is not only intended for graduating high school students. It can also be found at public libraries or organizations such as Hartford’s Compass and Our Piece of the Pie that work to serve disconnected youth, or youth not currently enrolled in school or in work. These organizations work to produce tangible results such as  decreasing troubled youth’s likelihood of engaging in risky behavior and maintaining sustainable employment. 

“Connecticut has been ahead of the curve when it comes to preparing young people for their futures,” said Bysiewicz. “Career development in our state is a longstanding, coordinated, and stable commitment shared across agencies, educators, and workforce experts. The Career Paths guide offers students clear, accessible information on the broad range of opportunities available to them, whether that be college pathways, apprenticeships, military service, careers in the trades, high-growth industries, and more.”

This resource can also provide disconnected youth with the “soft skills” needed to navigate a competitive job market, said Bysiewicz. It is helpful “no matter what zipcode you live in and whether you are thinking about a college track or a non-college track” and is also a “great resource for prospective employers” who can use it to expand company outreach.

Bartolomeo said transitioning from education to career requires information sharing and keeping up with technology to prepare young workers for the jobs that are out there, and to sustain a talent pipeline for employers.

“Ultimately, this work strengthens both education and the economy,” she said.