Connecticut Career Choices (CCC) is an initiative of the Connecticut Department of Labor’s Office of Workforce Competitiveness. This high school program is carefully developed in response to Connecticut and America’s most pressing workforce needs.
History
CCC is an outgrowth of Connecticut’s Information Technology Workforce Development Strategy, which the General Assembly initially required the Connecticut Employment and Training Commission to produce and pilot through the Office of Workforce Competitiveness under P.A. 00-187 and PA 01-193. CCC was instrumental to the development of the Office of Workforce Competitiveness’ 2007 “Talent-based Strategy to Keep Connecticut Competitive in the 21st Century.” CCC began in 2002 with six Connecticut high schools and has grown to more than 40 high school sites.
Objectives
The CCC program takes a critical role in bridging the worlds of policy and practice to be Connecticut’s main initiative in promoting talent generation for the knowledge economy:
- Advancing new policy initiates for the knowledge economy
- Seeding new program development to enhance student involvement in STEM skills development
- Ongoing service delivery for the CCC high school program, including experiential learning
How it works
Since its inception, the CCC program has engaged thousands of Connecticut urban, suburban, and rural teachers and students in a variety of exciting academic and hands-on experiences that help prepare them for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers of the future. Teachers and students utilize the Center’s proven evidence-based blended instruction model, which coordinates computer-mediated learning and a variety of experiential learning activities, such as career mentoring, company tours, guest speakers, student internships, and teacher externships that connect the classroom to the work world. Research indicates that CCC students and teachers expand their knowledge of STEM-related careers, increase their STEM skills, and increase their understanding about the changing nature of the 21st century global workplace.
The CCC program is developed and managed by the Center for 21st Century Skills at EDUCATION CONNECTION.
