CATP Quarterly Meeting Update (Q2 2025)

CAPITAL AREA TECH PARTNERSHIP (CATP)

Developing the Workforce that Powers Connecticut’s Tech Economy

The Capital Area Tech Partnership is a regional sector partnership of the Connecticut Capital Area’s major tech employers and education institutions collaborating to attract and retain a viable and resilient workforce to meet the regional tech industry’s hiring needs. This partnership ideates and develops initiatives to strengthen the Connecticut tech economy by nurturing a robust pipeline of tech talent. It is co-convened by Capital Workforce Partners and Metro Hartford Alliance, and includes other economic development, workforce and education organizations at the region and state levels. The partnership is modeled off regional sector partnerships active across Connecticut and the country and is supported by the Good Jobs Challenge, awarded to the State of Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy.

CATP STEERING COMMITTEE

The Steering Committee members are Hartford area business leaders who provide strategic guidance, promote collaboration and validate partnership priorities.

CATP Quarterly Breakfast Meeting
May 8, 2025
Hosted by:  UConn School of Business 

Jeff Auker presents the Applied AI Center for Hartford, UConn School of Business, Hartford, CT

The Capital Area Tech Partnership (CATP) is a Regional Sector Partnership led by Tech Employers and supported by public partners. The members work together to strengthen and sustain the tech talent pipeline that drives the region’s tech economy. We empower businesses by convening leaders on a regular basis to discuss strategies and action plans that strengthen Connecticut’s tech ecosystem.

CATP Quarterly Meetings provide a forum for thought leadership, an opportunity to partner on workforce development initiatives, share best practices and hear what is on the minds of some of the area’s top IT business leaders.

The CATP extends its thanks to UConn School of Business, who hosted our Quarterly Breakfast meeting and provided us with a warm welcome and a professional environment to support collaborative discussion. Special thanks to Jennifer Eigo, Michelle Cote, and Katherine Lorange for their welcome and support.

Meeting Notes:

• Doors opened at 8:45 for conversation and networking over coffee and breakfast.
• Jennifer Eigo, Associate Director, opened up the meeting with a welcome and an overview of the UConn Digital Frontiers Initiative, which brings together the study and practice of business and technology to bring value to business and hands on tech experience for students, fostering the next generation of Connecticut tech leaders.
• Tech Workforce Updates: CATP member activities supporting tech workforce development, including:
  • Tech & Healthcare Job Fair June 10th. A Tech Career Fair hosted by the CT Science Center – to host a table, please register your business here: https://buytickets.at/metrohartfordalliance/1675276  
  • QuantumCT Community Impact Pilot Program – applications are open for funding to support Quantum Awareness and Workforce Development.
  • Google and Dito will be hosting a free GenAI Training and Experience workshop aimed at government services. May 22nd. POC Aidan Marchand at Aidan.Marchand@Carahsoft.com
  • CATP continues to provide its Executive Tech Talks series, bringing area tech trainees together with local tech leaders to discuss career opportunities and strategies. Thank you to COCC, Liberty Bank, Accenture, TEKSystems for participating! To generate candidate awareness for your company contact Martha LaCrosse at mlacrosse@capitalworkforce.org

• Jeff Auker, Director of Economic Development, City of Hartford updated CATP on the proposed Applied AI Center will be a transformative force for Hartford and the state, positioning itself as New England’s leading hub for applied AI.
  • The Center will drive real-world innovation through partnerships with corporations, academic institutions, government, and nonprofits. Central to its mission is a robust Workforce Programming component that delivers AI certificates; K–12 STEM and AI coding clubs, robotics leagues, and hackathons; and hands-on bootcamps, internships, and apprenticeships with local employers. These efforts will be rooted in community-based training through partners like YWCA, Girls for Tech, and MakerSpaceCT.
  • The vision is clear: every machine, wire, LED, chip, and piece of data powering this new district will be stood up and managed by residents engaged in work-based learning.
  • The Center seeks to renew the corridor linking Hartford’s downtown to its North End, helping retain the state’s emerging talent and fueling inclusive economic development across the region.

• Karo Shakhnazarov, Strategic Development Coordinator, Capital Workforce Partners gave a presentation on Hartford CT labor market statistics – including a view over time of tech demand statewide; tech staffing patterns within the tech industry versus other industry sectors; top skills demanded by Hartford tech employers in their job postings, and data related to the uptick in hiring of AI-related skills across functions and across industries. Key points noted by the group:
  • a lack of entry-level jobs for candidates with no prior work experience
  • A real dispersal of tech jobs across industries – impacting how we as a partnership should consider expanding to address a broader tech workforce

• Meeting Adjourned at 11:00 a.m.