September 3, 2014
Chair of the Program and Investigations Committee, State Rep. Mary Mushinsky is pleased to announce Governor Malloy has allocated $3.6 million to create the first statewide Platform to Employment (P2E) program in the nation.
“Our PRI Committee report recommended expansion of this program to assist the long-term unemployed to regain employment, and with our allies the Labor Committee, Department of Labor and Department on Aging, we were successful at convincing Appropriations Committee to expand these apprenticeships,” Rep. Mushinsky said.
Administered through The WorkPlace, the P2E program helps the long-term unemployed return to work. P2E was created in 2011 as a strategy in Southwest Connecticut to respond to the social, emotional and skill deficiencies of the long-term unemployed. By partnering with the Connecticut Departments of Labor and Vocational Rehabilitation and the states’ four other workforce investment boards (WIB), P2E will serve 500 Connecticut residents during the program year. The program’s first statewide class of 100 is expected to begin in September.
“Platform to Employment provides the tools and resources needed to return the long-term unemployed to work, said Joseph Carbone, President and CEO of The WorkPlace. “The program provides hope and opportunity for workers that are frequently overlooked when hiring and it offers employers a risk-free opportunity to consider qualified candidates to meet their needs.”
Connecticut residents who have exhausted their unemployment benefits are welcome to apply online to the P2E. The program will be offered statewide in Connecticut with classes held in Bridgeport, Waterbury, New Haven, Hartford and the Norwich/New London areas.
For more information, visit www.platformtoemployment.com and click on the “P2E Application” link on the right hand side of the homepage to complete the online application today.