Connecticut Joins Inaugural Cohort Led by National Nonprofit Opportunity@Work To Support Public Sector Advancement for Workers Skilled Through Alternative Means

HARTFORD, CT - Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the State of Connecticut is joining a coalition of state governments working to make skills-first talent practices a reality as part of the “Transformers in the Public Sector” initiative, a first-of-its-kind effort led by the national nonprofit organization Opportunity@Work that aims to break down barriers to public-sector employment for workers who have developed valuable skills through alternative means other than obtaining a bachelor’s degree, such as military service, community college, training programs, partial college completion, or, most commonly, on-the-job experience.

Known as STARs - Skilled Through Alternative Routes - these workers comprise approximately 47% of Connecticut’s workforce of 1.7 million people. This segment of the workforce can sometimes be overlooked in talent processes that frequently rely on degrees and credentials rather than skills and capabilities. To address that disparity, over the next 12 months under this initiative leaders from Connecticut will collaborate with peers from Arizona, California, Colorado, and Louisiana and receive targeted support focused on refining and implementing skills-first talent strategies. Additional state governments are welcome to join the cohort.

“We’re proud to have been at the forefront of building a skills-based ecosystem in the public sector that can both expand access to job opportunities and help the state fill critical workforce needs,” Governor Lamont said. “Through this initiative, we are excited to not just share our own challenges and success stories with our peers, but also learn how Connecticut can continue working to better support, develop, and retain STARs throughout state government.”

As part of the cohort, Connecticut, which dropped the degree requirement for many public-sector jobs in the early 1980s, will focus specifically on efforts to advance STARs in the public-sector workforce. This work will include a specific focus on expanding the state’s efforts to understand the current state of employment, as well as removing the barriers to retention and advancement for STARs within three state agencies, including the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), and the Department of Social Services (DSS). State leaders also aim to gather broader data on Connecticut’s workforce and to explore ways to develop compelling narratives on the skills-first approach, drawing on the experiences and challenges faced by other states.

The initiative is being led on behalf of the Lamont administration by the Department of Administrative Services and the Office of Workforce Strategy in partnership with the commissioners and leadership teams from DCF, DDS, and DSS.

“By embracing a skills-first approach, Connecticut is ensuring that talented individuals, regardless of their educational paths, have the opportunity to excel in the public sector,” Governor Lamont said. “This initiative will help us unlock the potential of STARs, addressing critical workforce needs while advancing equity and inclusion across our state.”

“No matter their location, population, or political affiliation, states across the country are navigating the twin challenge of addressing talent shortages in the public sector while also creating new paths to opportunities for STARs,” Blair Corcoran de Castillo, vice president of STARs policy for Opportunity@Work, said. “That’s what this cohort aims to do, advance skills-first practices that open doors for STARs across the public sector. Connecticut is leading the way in ensuring that STARs are recognized and supported - and setting an example for states seeking to build a more inclusive and productive workforce that benefits both STARs and the communities they serve.”

“Transformers in the Public Sector” is the inaugural cohort of the STARs Public Sector Hub, a nonprofit, nonpartisan digital resource hub and learning community for government leaders interested in skills-first talent strategies and powered through partnership. The hub is part of Opportunity@Work’s ongoing mission to rewire the U.S. labor market, enabling at least one million more working adults in America to translate their learning into earning over the next decade – generating a $20 billion boost in annual earnings.