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In The News | Courtney visits Three Rivers, talks Build Back Better, infrastructure

Norwich — U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, addressed a class of about 15 students, along with some faculty members, at Three Rivers Community College on Friday.

Speaking in professor Diba Khan-Bureau’s environmental engineering technology class to about 30 people in all, Courtney discussed a variety of environmental issues facing the region, as well as his views on the infrastructure and Build Back Better bills making their way through the legislative process.

Courtney stopped in from Washington and was introduced by Kem Barfield, the dean of academic and student affairs, who said Courtney has supported Three Rivers in its manufacturing work, its partnership with Electric Boat and environmental areas.

Courtney said the infrastructure and Build Back Better bills are focused on climate change in a way “that none of us could have imagined even a year ago.” He compared past COVID-19 relief bills to natural disaster relief legislation, but said infrastructure and Build Back Better are different. Rather than “keeping the lights on,” he said these bills will be “a pathway to a stronger future for the country.”

In total, the infrastructure package, which has some Republican support, and Build Back Better, which doesn’t, amount to $2.75 trillion. Infrastructure accounts for $1 trillion while Build Back Better accounts for $1.75 trillion. House progressives resisted an effort to vote on the infrastructure deal Thursday. Centrist Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia have been largely responsible for the holdup on the Senate side, as they’ve balked at including paid family leave, taxing billionaires and setting lower prescription drug prices.

Courtney said it’s very rare for a bill to get passed exactly the way it’s imagined. But following Friday’s appearance at Three Rivers, he did express some disappointment.

“To some degree the die was cast back in January when the Democrats squeaked to a majority,” he said. “I’m frustrated that the prescription drug piece fell off the table. To me that makes no sense, something that has such overwhelming support. We hear about it nonstop. And it would have saved the country money. They’re still doing some kind of inflation cap, but that’s not the same as real price negotiation.”

Courtney, who has been in office since 2006, recalled a debate between former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former President Donald Trump where not a single question about climate change was asked. Now, he notes, the infrastructure bill is built around the idea of combating climate change, with high-speed rail, modern transit services, more charging stations for electric vehicles and other provisions.

Build Back Better is not deficit spending nor does it involve raising taxes on fuel. Instead, “People and corporations that can afford to contribute more to the federal government and treasury pay for it.” The bill will provide increased funding for federal Pell Grants to help students in need receive financial aid, and it also significantly will lower day care prices. The legislation also will boost job training in manufacturing and health care.

Courtney said Build Back Better also will upgrade the electric grid and invest in clean energy. “As we change how we generate power in this country, particularly offshore wind, the voltage that comes from the generation right now, we don’t have a grid that has the capacity and capability to receive that kind of power,” he said. “Nuclear is included in there, I get asked that a lot with Dominion in the region.”

With State Pier being renovated in New London and its promise of offshore wind energy, this part of the bill is applicable to the region, Courtney said.

He mentioned that President Joe Biden is headed to Scotland for a U.N. Climate Summit. Khan-Bureau asked how can the U.S. show its face there when it and China are the two biggest polluters in the world? Courtney said the rest of the world still looks to the U.S., and Biden had hoped to have at least some of the legislation passed before the summit. “Theoretically it’s still possible that he could have a deliverable while he was there,” he added.

“Biden’s not going to quit on this thing, he isn’t and neither is (Nancy) Pelosi,” Courtney said. “Those two won’t stop until we get something. It might continue to shrink, but I don’t see that happening.”

— By Sten Spinella, Day staff writer

The original article can be found here: “Courtney visits Three Rivers, talks Build Back Better, infrastructure”

The Rockfall Foundation Announces Recipients of 2021 Environmental Champion Awards.

From The Rockfall Foundation

Bill Maune, Patch Mayor

Posted Tue, Oct 12, 2021 at 3:13 pm ET

The Rockfall Foundation bestowed a certificate of appreciation to Professor Diba-Khan Bureau of Three Rivers Community College. At left is Rockfall Executive Director Tony Marino. (Photo from The Rockfall Foundation)

The Rockfall Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2021 Environmental Champion Awards. The award winners were selected from nominations submitted by members of the community across the Lower Connecticut River Valley. Kim O’Rourke has been selected for the Tom ODell Distinguished Service Award, which honors long-term accomplishments in environmental conservation and preservation. Certificates of Appreciation are being awarded to Bernie Gillis of the East Haddam Conservation Commission and Dr. Diba Khan-Bureau of Three Rivers Community College.

Kim O’Rourke:

Kim has served 30 years as Recycling Coordinator for the City of Middletown. Starting as the City’s second coordinator at a time when mandatory recycling was new in Connecticut, Kim has built a program in Middletown that has received recognition statewide and regionally. Throughout her career, Kim has expanded the purview of her one-person operation to include multiple aspects of environmental conservation, including ecosystem protection, sustainability, waste reduction, composting, and organic food production. Learn more about Kim’s accomplishments here.
Certificates of Appreciation

Bernie Gillis:

Bernie is a Member of the East Haddam Conservation Commission, East Haddam Land Trust, and East Haddam Planning & Zoning Commission who is dedicated to the preservation of, and public access to, open space. Learn more about Bernie’s accomplishments here.

Dr. Diba Khan-Bureau:

Diba works as a professor and the Program Coordinator for the Environmental Technology and Biology TAP Pathway at Three Rivers Community College who has successfully blended her career as a professor with her dedication as a local conservationist. Learn more about Diba’s accomplishments here.

The original article can be found here: 2021 Environmental Champion Awards

Connecticut Is the First State in the U.S. to Offer the Full Suite of Google Career Certificates to Their Entire Community College and State University System

(MIDDLETOWN, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) President Terrence Cheng, and Alphabet’s Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat today announced that Connecticut has become the first state in the nation to offer the full suite of Google Career Certificates across its state colleges and universities system, and that the program is now available to all community colleges and career and technical education (CTE) high schools across the nation to onboard.

Part of the Grow with Google economic opportunity initiative, the certificates are available on the online learning platform Coursera. The program equips people with skills for in-demand jobs within three to six months – with no degree or experience required – at a time when employers in information technology related sectors have reported a skills gap in the U.S. workforce.

“This is exactly what workforce development is all about,” Governor Lamont said. “We have employers that are looking to hire individuals with these digital skills, and our community college system responded quickly by entering into a partnership with Google to ensure our colleges are ready to start equipping students with these skills so they can enter these in-demand careers that pay over $60,000.”

Following an agreement between Google, the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy, and CSCU, Google and Coursera will provide a diverse population of Connecticut residents with the training to fill positions in data analytics, IT support, project management, and UX design fields that are projected to grow in the next ten years, with an average starting salary of $69,000. After completing the program, graduates can share their resume with an employer consortium of more than 150 companies – including Infosys, Verizon, Walmart, Wayfair, and Google. Infosys has already pledged to hire 250 program graduates at its Hartford location.

“We are excited about this expansion of our Grow with Google Certificates program and the opportunity to partner with academic institutions across the U.S., including community colleges, which are critical to workforce development and economic mobility,” Porat said. “We believe that to have sustainable economic growth, we must have inclusive growth, and we are committed to continuing to help people develop the digital skills they need to participate in this economy.”

“Starting in early 2022, community colleges in all corners of Connecticut will offer Google’s IT Support Certificate, with other certificates rolling out throughout the spring and summer,” CSCU President Terrence Cheng said. “Our public colleges and universities offer the highest quality education and cutting-edge training opportunities. We are thrilled to be the first in the nation to offer all Google Career Certificates on a statewide basis – it is a testament to Governor Lamont’s laser focus on workforce development.”

Building on Google’s initiative with Jobs for the Future to offer its first certificate in IT support to more than 100 community colleges, the company’s new partnerships aim to help individuals bridge the skills gap by gaining the skills needed to take advantage of job openings. These institutions play an essential role in workforce training with 44% of all U.S. undergraduates attending community colleges, and 7.5 million high school students enrolled in CTE programs.

Through the College of Technology, all Connecticut community colleges will offer credit courses that will include Google Career Certificate courses beginning in spring 2022. Non-credit courses will also be offered regionally using the community colleges’ workforce development offices, with the roll out of the Google IT Support certificate in spring 2022. CSCU will partner with the Office of Workforce Strategy to help initially subsidize these programs for students and job seekers.

The Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) was recruited by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies to be one of five states administering up to 100 Grow with Google scholarships for veterans and their spouses. The scholarships will be distributed through the American Job Center by CTDOL’s Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program specialists who work directly with veterans to meet their employment training needs.

“The Connecticut Department of Labor is proud to be one of only five states with Grow with Google scholarships for veterans and their spouses,” Connecticut Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said. “With certificate programs in technology, analytics, and project management, we can prepare the workforce of the future and help Connecticut’s veterans by providing free access to certifications that will help them prepare for, find, and retain good-paying jobs in growing industries.”

The Google Career Certificates have a track record of helping people rapidly skill and obtain in-demand jobs. Fifty-three percent of graduates identify as Black, Latino, female, or veteran, and eighty-two percent of graduates report a positive career impact within six months of completion, such as a raise, promotion, or new job.

— By The Office of Governor Ned Lamont

The original article can be found here: “Governor Lamont, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, and Google Announce Google Career Certificates Are Now Available Across the Entire CSCU System”