So many exciting things happening in Connecticut. Congratulations to Tunxis Community College and and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) College of Technology.
(HARTFORD, CT – 6/16/21) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that Tunxis Community College and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) College of Technology have received a $7.5 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead the nation’s only NSF National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing. The center will partner with leadership teams from Columbus State Community College in Ohio, College of the Canyons in California, Central Community College in Nebraska, and Indian River State College in Florida, as well as collaborators from education, industry, government and private and public organizations from throughout the United States to operationalize Industry 4.0 initiatives in Connecticut and throughout the nation.
As plans to reopen the state continue to evolve, there are several programs being created or extended at a rapid pace. CTmrg will attempt to keep CT manufacturers apprised of changes that can affect their business.
Below is information on some of these programs:
• Governor Lamont Announces More Than 108,000 Businesses Registered for Connecticut Paid and Medical Leave Program, Submitted $102M in First Quarter Contributions (HARTFORD, CT – 5/3/21) Registrations and Collection Exceed Projections for New Benefit Program – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority has registered 108,911 businesses and collected more than $102 million in first quarter contributions for Connecticut’s newly established paid family and medical leave program, surpassing initial projections.
Businesses began registering for the program on January 1, 2021. Paid leave benefits will become accessible to qualified workers across the state beginning January 1, 2022.
• Governor Lamont Announces New Business Tools Now Available at Business.CT.Gov (HARTFORD, CT – 2/8/21) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the State of Connecticut’s online business portal – business.ct.gov – continues to add more features that will make it easier for entrepreneurs to find information and services that aid in the process of starting or managing their businesses in Connecticut. Using feedback gathered from entrepreneurs, the state has continued to customize this one-stop-shop experience for users.
Some of the newly added features during this most recent update include: Resource Center, Business Dashboard, and Connecticut COVID-19 Content.
• Governor Lamont Announces Executive Order Expanding Federal Lost Wages Assistance for Low-Wage Unemployed Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic (HARTFORD, CT – 12/4/20) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he plans to sign an executive order that expands eligibility to the federal Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program for Connecticut residents who did not initially qualify for the program. Due to a federal rule requiring claimants receive at least $100 per week in unemployment benefits to receive the additional LWA funding, approximately 38,000 residents were excluded from the program when it ran over six weeks late last summer. Governor Lamont’s executive order will retroactively and temporarily increase weekly unemployment benefits to $100 for most of these 38,000 residents, allowing them to qualify for the program.
• Governor Lamont Announces Expansion of the State’s Shared Work Program To Help Employers Navigate Economic Impact of Pandemic (MIDDLETOWN, CT – 9/23/20) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that as companies continue navigating the impact of the ongoing, global COVID-19 pandemic, the State of Connecticut will be expanding its Shared Work program, which helps businesses in the state prevent layoffs by allowing them to temporarily reduce employee hours and use partial unemployment benefits to supplement lost wages. The program will be expanded beginning the week of October 5, 2020.
• Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut Awarded $1.4 Million for Pilot Program To Strengthen Defense Manufacturing Supply Chains Digital Model Initiative to Promote Use of 3-D Design and Manufacturing Technology (HARTFORD, CT – 9/23/20) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that a Connecticut consortium, led by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), has been awarded a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Economic Adjustment that will fund the Digital Model Initiative, a two-year pilot program to accelerate the adoption of 3-D design and manufacturing technology throughout Connecticut’s defense supply chains. The $1.4 million federal grant will be matched by a $350,000 grant from DECD.
• Governor Lamont Announces Launch of Connecticut’s New Online State Tax Filing System New Filing System and Payment Portal Provides for User-Friendly Services to Taxpayers, Beginning with Businesses in Phase 1 (HARTFORD, CT 9/21/20) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) multi-year IT modernization initiative that will improve the customer’s experience and deliver additional, user-friendly features such as mobile device-friendly design, secure web messaging, and advanced tax filing reminders.
• Governor Lamont Extends Connecticut’s State of Emergency in Response To the COVID-19 Pandemic To February 9 (HARTFORD, CT – 9/1/20) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed orders extending to February 9, 2021, Connecticut’s states of civil preparedness and public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally declared in March and scheduled to expire on September 9, the governor said that the states of emergency must remain in place in order for the state to effectively respond to the unprecedented and ongoing global pandemic.