Connecticut Capital Workforce Partners

Program Description: 

Capital Workforce Partners (CWP) serves as the workforce development board for North Central Connecticut, bringing together employers, educators, community organizations, and public agencies to create pathways that connect residents to employment and employers to talent. 

Rather than focusing on a single program, CWP serves as a regional convener, aligning workforce development, education, economic development, and supportive services to address labor market needs while expanding opportunities for youth and adults. Through American Job Centers, Regional Sector Partnerships, youth employment initiatives, industry-recognized training, and employer collaborations, CWP develops multiple entry points into education, employment, and career advancement. For example, CWP convenes three Regional Sector Partnerships that gather educators, employers, and community partners in the areas of healthcare, technology, and transportation and logistics.  

Impact: 

Since their founding in 1978, CWP has partnered with American Job Centers to offer free career training to workers in their region. For more than four decades, CWP has facilitated the Summer Youth Employment and Learning Program, tools to help navigate disability services and increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and programs aimed at helping mid-career professionals who would like to change careers and re-enter the workforce.

Population Served: 

Adults and youth in North Central Connecticut. 

Program Spotlight: 

One of Capital Workforce Partners’ longest-standing collaborations is the BEST Chance Partnership, a regional initiative serving justice-involved adults and youth returning to their communities. 

Rather than treating employment as a stand-alone service, BEST Chance integrates workforce development with case management, coaching, credential training, academic support, behavioral health resources, and retention services. Participants receive individualized support designed to remove barriers while preparing for long-term employment. 

The partnership brings together Capital Workforce Partners, Career Resources Inc., Community Partners in Action, the Hartford Reentry Welcome Center, employers, philanthropic organizations, and state agencies to coordinate services that no single organization could provide independently. 

Since its inception, BEST Chance has helped more than 500 individuals secure employment while demonstrating measurable public value. An independent evaluation found that every $1 invested generated approximately $21.36 in public benefit through reduced recidivism, lower public expenditures, increased earnings, and tax revenue. 

BEST Chance illustrates how coordinated workforce, education, and community partnerships can create multiple pathways back to employment and long-term economic stability. 

Program Spotlight: 

The Bloomfield Dual Track Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program demonstrates how secondary education, workforce development, higher education, and employers can work together to create accelerated career pathways. 

Developed through a collaboration among Bloomfield Public Schools, Capital Workforce Partners, Northeast Medical Institute, and EDSI, the program allows students to simultaneously earn high school credit, complete CNA training, obtain industry-recognized certifications, and prepare for postsecondary education and employment. 

Unlike traditional sequential education models, the Dual Track approach enables students to pursue academic achievement and career preparation simultaneously, reducing both time and financial barriers while strengthening Connecticut’s healthcare workforce. 

During its inaugural year, 95 percent of participating students completed the program, demonstrating strong student engagement while providing graduates with multiple options following high school, including immediate employment, continued education, or both. 

By aligning education with employer demand and providing students with meaningful career exploration before graduation, the Bloomfield Dual Track CNA Program reflects how regional partnerships can expand access to quality career pathways without requiring students to choose between academic success and workforce preparation. 

Learn more here.

Page last updated in August 2026