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Former US Education Sec. Cardona to lead CT workforce effort

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Former US Education Sec. Cardona to lead CT workforce effort


Gov. Ned Lamont likes to say he prefers “more taxpayers” over “more taxes.” To get there, he needs the state’s workforce to grow.

In an effort to do just that, the governor this week established a state workforce commission aimed at helping Connecticut’s youngest workers. It will be led by former U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. 

In an executive order signed on Thursday, the governor laid out the Connecticut Career Pathways Commission, tasked with helping create a system that will connect students to jobs in high-demand fields. The commission will be made up of unpaid volunteers, with members including “leaders from the K-12 and higher education and workforce board systems, employers, labor representatives, municipal leaders, governmental leaders, legislators, community representatives, and students,” according to a press release. 

The commission’s work in the coming months will focus on developing a five-year strategic plan targeting four key areas: career pathway design and delivery, expanding student attainment of industry-recognized credentials, creating a statewide model for work-based learning and employer engagement, and outlining the policy, administrative, and funding changes needed to accomplish the task.

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“Connecticut’s long-term economic competitiveness depends on how well we work together to prepare people not only for the jobs of today but also for the jobs of the future,”  Lamont said in a statement announcing the executive order. “We must have a system where students and jobseekers can see the full arc of opportunity, a system where employers help shape the programs that prepare their future workforce, and a system where everyone — from classrooms to campuses to companies — is aligned around shared goals and shared outcomes.”

The commission is expected to release a report and recommendations by Dec. 31. 

In appointing Cardona, who also served as Connecticut’s education commissioner and as an administrator and teacher in Meriden’s public school system, Lamont is dedicating high-profile manpower to the effort. 

“He knows what works here in Connecticut, and he knows what works around the country,” Lamont told reporters on Thursday. 

News of Cardona’s appointment was first shared at the Connecticut Business and Industry Association’s 2026 Workforce Summit. 

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Cardona’s career has largely focused on addressing disparities in education, with the goal of increasing access for students from marginalized and vulnerable backgrounds. That focus has won him support with parents and fellow educators. It was also a factor in his appointment to lead the U.S Department of Education in 2021.  

Miguel Cardona introduces himself to the country after being nominated to be the next U.S. Secretary of Education: ‘I, being bilingual and bicultural am as American as apple pie and rice and beans. For me, education was the great equalizer, but for too many students, your zip code and your skin color remained the best predictor of the opportunities you’ll have in your lifetime.’

As the commission prepares to get to work, Cardona said he wants to ensure opportunities are available to students across Connecticut.

“We have pockets of excellence across the state,” Cardona said during a panel discussion at the workforce summit. “The challenge is systematizing what we know works so this becomes the rule, not the exception.”

A new report highlights the importance of career pathways

The new career pathways initiative will also rely on the state’s business community as a key partner. CBIA’s president and CEO, Chris DiPentima, will also sit on the Career Pathways Commission, the organization said on Friday. 

During the workforce event, the state’s largest business organization released a new report, known as the “Connecticut Workforce & Education Strategy Blueprint,” that detailed why better alignment between schools, state officials and employers is necessary. CBIA suggested a framework for the effort, highlighting the need for schools to better prepare students — specifically high-schoolers — for the workforce. 

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“Connecticut’s economy depends on whether we can connect students to real career opportunities earlier and more effectively,” CBIA Foundation director Dustin Nord said in a statement released with the report. “This blueprint focuses on practical steps to reduce barriers, improve coordination, and ensure our education‑to‑workforce system is aligned with the needs of our employers.”

The report pointed to opportunities for growth. While the state is currently dealing with a declining workforce and close to 70,000 open positions, Department of Labor data suggested that the state would experience a notable increase in employment between 2022 and 2032. 

A significant portion of that growth is expected to be in jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree, including in industries like hospitality, health care, transportation and manufacturing. The report estimated that these roles could account for more than 55% of job growth by 2034. 

To make these industries more accessible to students, the blueprint called for a more intentional statewide effort that includes better coordination between schools and employers.

In the coming months, the hope is that the new commission will give this effort a strong foundation. 

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“Improving upward mobility for Connecticut students by increasing career pathways in our schools will benefit them, our communities, and our state’s economic viability,” Cardona said on Thursday. “When our students win, our state wins.”



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Connecticut

A 300-Year-Old House, the Oldest in Ridgefield, Connecticut, Is Selling as Part of an Amenity-Filled Family Compound

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A 300-Year-Old House, the Oldest in Ridgefield, Connecticut, Is Selling as Part of an Amenity-Filled Family Compound


This two-house, two-barn compound includes the oldest home in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and stands right on the town’s historic and famously charming Main Street.

“It’s actually two distinct houses, two really iconic landmark properties on Main Street” that have been carefully restored and renovated, said listing agent Laura Ancona, of William Pitt/Julia B Fee Sotheby’s International Realty. 

“Over $10 million has been spent in top-of-the-line improvements and designer appointments inside and out,” according to the listing.

The older home, known as the Hawley House, was built in 1713 for the Rev. Thomas Hawley, a minister who was also the schoolmaster and town clerk, Ancona said. “It’s quite a stylish home for the time, with high ceilings, wide-board floors and multiple fireplaces,” she said.

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Other features include a gambrel roof, original paneling on the fireplace wall of one living room, original fireplace mantels, many of the original hand-blown glass windows, an original Dutch door and hand-hewn beams, according to information provided by the agent. An original double-seated, white clapboard outhouse rests about 100 feet behind the home.

The 300-year-old house is on the National Register of Historic Places as well as being one of the 32 “Stations of History” on Ridgefield’s “Museum in the Streets” tour, Ancona said.

MORE: Tour More One-of-a-Kind Homes In Out Listing of the Day Series

The 1777 Battle of Ridgefield in the Revolutionary War was fought on Main Street and it was also where Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold’s horse was shot out from under him, she said. “We’re very historic, very Colonial.”

“It’s one of the top Main Streets in the country,” Ancona said. “It’s a Norman Rockwell-esque, tree-lined Main Street. Ridgefield is very protective of its Main Street.”

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The second house on the compound, a Gothic Revival Victorian, was built by Hawley’s descendants in 1826, she said. “It’s very grand, very colorful,” now with four finished levels. 

“It was not as well upkept as it should have been” when the sellers bought it in 2002 and began a multiyear renovation soon after, Ancona said. They were able to recreate much of the original architectural details from old photos.

The gray barn/carriage house associated with the Victorian has been renovated to now include a kitchen and great room that opens to the pool area, a gym and sauna, a poker room, a game room with a bar, an arcade and a movie theater for 30-plus people, she said. “It’s a completely tricked-out party barn.”

There’s also a circa-1900 red barn that now holds an indoor basketball court, an arts-and-crafts studio and a second-floor office with a conference room, according to the listing. It was updated and redone in 2012.

Both lots, which together are 3.16 acres, are quite deep with long driveways, which offers a great deal of privacy, even while being on Main Street, Ancona said. 

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“You can walk to town and still have all of this privacy,” she said. 

Stats 

The 8,934-square-foot compound has eight bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and two partial bathrooms. It sits on a 3.16-acre lot.

Amenities 



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Amenities include a heated pool and spa, a pool/carriage house, two two-car garages (one with two Tesla chargers), seven fireplaces, a gym and sauna, an indoor basketball court, a brick courtyard, a pergola, an outdoor kitchen, a home office with a conference room, an arts-and-crafts studio, a bar and game room, a poker room, an arcade and a movie theater.

Neighborhood Notes 



The home is within walking distance of everything Main Street has to offer, including museums, the library, Ballard Park, an old-fashioned hardware store and lots of independent shops and restaurants, Ancona said. “There is no fast food in all of Ridgefield.”

Ridgefield is adjacent to Westchester County in New York, and it’s about a 30-minute drive to the Westchester County Airport, she said. Ridgefield is about 90 miles from Manhattan. 

Agent: Laura Ancona, William Pitt/Julia B Fee Sotheby’s International Realty

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Child hospitalized after drowning incident at Connecticut campground

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Child hospitalized after drowning incident at Connecticut campground


GRANBY, Conn. (WWLP) – A juvenile was brought to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon after a reported drowning at a campground pool in Granby, Connecticut.

According to the Granby, Conn., Police Department, the incident was reported around 2:30 p.m. at High Meadow Day Camp, located at 311 North Granby Road. A Simsbury officer working a private detail at the campground was called to the pool area and began providing medical care. The patient was identified as a juvenile, whose name has not been released.

The juvenile was treated at the scene before being brought to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Officials have not released information on the child’s condition.

Azell Cavaan, the Chief Communications Officer for Springfield Public Schools, confirmed with 22News that a SPS student was taken by ambulance from High Meadow on Wednesday. It is unclear if the two incidents are connected.

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Police said numerous children who witnessed the incident later became emotionally distressed. Ambulance crews from Granby, Windsor Locks, Simsbury, and Suffield all assisted in response. In the aftermath of the incident, police encouraged anyone affected to seek support services.

“Witnessing traumatic incidents can be very unsettling. If you need to access support, the best way is by calling 211, which can connect individuals with crisis support services and other community resources,” the department said in its release.

Counseling and support services are also available through local municipalities, including the Granby Youth Service Bureau for residents.

This incident remains under investigation. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

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