A recent report published by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) found the state’s high-school-to-career pipeline is lacking, and suggests opportunities for improvement. The report focuses on boosting understanding of the current job market in Connecticut and developing strategies to place high school graduates in jobs after they graduate.
Around 57,000 people ages 15 to 26 are not in employment, education, or professional training (NEET), the report states. An additional 49,000 high school students are showing signs of future disconnection, including chronic absenteeism, falling behind on credits, and behavioral incidents.
“Together, these figures mean one in five Connecticut young people are either disconnected (NEET) or at risk of becoming so,” CBIA’s report states.
The report’s authors suggest high school career pathway programs as a fix that can also lead to economic gains in the state.
“Over 55% of Connecticut’s projected job growth through 2034 will be accessible to workers without a bachelor’s degree—positions in healthcare support, advanced manufacturing, transportation, and the skilled trades that offer family sustaining wages and clear advancement pathways.”
Some of these industries are currently struggling to attract and maintain workers.
The number of manufacturing jobs in Connecticut has decreased steadily over the past 20 years. The 2025 Connecticut Manufacturing Report shows that this decrease continued from 2024 to 2025, when the total number of manufacturing jobs in the state dropped from 157,800 to 153,600. The economic output of the manufacturing industry decreased by around $34,000, but the percentage of Connecticut’s GDP that manufacturing made up increased slightly. The average wage also increased from $95,000 to $100,000.
Even though the total number of employees in the industry decreased, there are still around 7,000 open manufacturing jobs in the state, the Connecticut Manufacturing Report states.
“Looking forward, the state’s Make It Here 2030 plan sets an ambitious course—focusing on talent pipelines, barrier removal, and productivity gains through technology,” the 2025 Connecticut Manufacturing Report states. “The plan sets two primary goals: raising manufacturing’s share of Connecticut’s GDP to at least 20% within five years and achieving full employment across the sector.”
Vacancies and the number of new jobs are not the only factors that impact job growth potential.
“At the same time, Connecticut’s workforce is aging rapidly,” the Workforce and Education Strategy Blueprint states. “The state ranks 49th in the nation for workers aged 55 and older, with nearly 68,000 workers in office and administrative roles alone approaching retirement.”
Twenty-seven percent of Connecticut’s workforce is over the age of 55, which is about equal to the percentage of the workforce that is between the ages of 22 and 34.
CBIA laid out recommendations to ease transition into the workplace, and create centralized networks for employers to recruit high school students. “Connecticut is not lacking in programs, initiatives, or dedicated professionals contributing to workforce development; however, coordinating these resources remains a challenge,” the report states. “Employers described a system they struggle to navigate, lacking consistent points of contact and significant variation from town to town in who “owns” workforce development.”
The report recommends targeting Connecticut Technical Education and Career System schools, which run 17 technical high schools in Connecticut and “show the highest concentration of workforce-direct programming and the strongest alignment with employer needs,” the report states.
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