Summary of SB 881: An Act Concerning Workforce Development

• Establishes Chief Workforce Officer and Office of Workforce Strategy within the Department of Economic and Community Development to coordinate state workforce development policy, strategy, and activities, effective July 1, 2021.

• Creates credentials database requiring institutions of higher education and training providers to submit credential information by July 1, 2024, with data on skills, competencies, costs, and job outcomes to inform workforce planning.

• Designates "credentials of value" through standards including workforce needs, completion rates, and employment outcomes, with the Office of Workforce Strategy maintaining an updated list.

• Expands data collection from employers to include demographic and occupational information by 2024-2027 (depending on company size) to track workforce composition and support workforce development planning.

• Renames Connecticut Employment and Training Commission to Governor's Workforce Council and reorganizes workforce development governance to centralize coordination while maintaining regional workforce development boards.