Keeping the best and brightest key for CT businesses
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- Aug 12, 2018
- 3 min read
Connecticut schools ranked third in nation in recent study
The financial advice and planning website WalletHub has released an in-depth report on the nation’s schools (all 50 states plus the District of Colombia). Connecticut schools locked third on the list, coming in just behind neighbors Massachusetts (1) and New Jersey (2). In terms of ‘Quality’ score, Connecticut landed at a proud second, but overall scores were affected by the CT public schools’ ‘Safety’ record, which placed the state at 11. Connecticut was often among the top five states for the metrics used to judge the successes of schools. Top five placements include: Highest Median ACT Score, Lowest Teacher-Pupil Ratio, and Highest Reading Test Scores. We encourage you to read more about the rankings and methodologies for this particular study at the link.
Source: WalletHub
This rating should come as little surprise to anyone who is attentive to these types of reports. Indeed, Connecticut public schools often are ranked among the nation’s best. Connecticut also lays claim to some of the nation’s most desirable towns to live in (
U.S. News even listed Hartford as recently as June 27 of this year), and our own research has indicated that individuals within our particular community like living in Connecticut and appreciate the lifestyle, history, and environment the state has to offer.
Significant to businesses in the state, over half of graduating students from Connecticut schools attend higher education at home, as well. With that in mind, the retention of these students upon graduation is key to the continued growth of Connecticut businesses, particularly those we serve in the tech arena. Whether driving students directly from Connecticut schools into the skilled trades and high-tech manufacturing jobs required to keep the wheels of industry turning here in the Nutmeg state, or picking up the best in coding and engineering graduates from our world-class colleges and universities, CT needs to up its resident-retention game. We’re a leading part of building the kind of culture that will do just that, and the Connecticut Technology Council is taking a multi-pronged approach to achieve this aim among many.
For three years, we have been elevating and connecting the rising students in coding and engineering at local colleges and universities to the local companies that want to take them on as interns, employees, or even mentees. We do this through the College Tech Challenge and Hiring Fair, which is designed to stratify and match the exceptional students from Connecticut schools with the local companies who need them most. This program resumes in September with our preliminary challenges taking place at Connecticut campuses. The final round, which will pit the best teams from each school against one another, will also include a hiring fair where students can meet and interview the companies seeking to connect with them.
Additionally, we are recommitting to expanding and celebrating the culture of tech in Connecticut. More than a back-patting ceremony, the ConnectiTECH Awards are specifically designed to expand the tech community in the Nutmeg State, celebrating not only the 40 fastest growing tech companies here with the Marcum Tech Top 40, but the culture and innovation that makes the Nutmeg State’s tech businesses and entrepreneurs so remarkable, and ensuring the bonds within that culture are established, strong, and growing. The Connecticut Technology Council is committed to expanding the umbrella of the technology community in the state, honoring those companies who are making waves today, and welcoming in the innovators who will drive tomorrow’s tech tsunamis.
With the Most Disruptive Technology Award, we hope to highlight the innovations bubbling up throughout Connecticut. From consumer products to medical devices, new “must have” apps to the devices we’ll soon use them on, we’re seeking technologic creativity on every front. The winner(s) of the Most Disruptive Technology Award will not only gain industry renown, but have a chance to sit down with Shipman & Goodwin’s specialists in Intellectual Property law, giving the winner(s) a chance to protect their invention as they bring it to the public. The application deadline for the Most Disruptive Technology Award is September 7, 2018, and we encourage any individual or company who thinks their invention will upset an industry to apply. Details and application can be found here.
On a cultural note, we’re out to toast the best, brightest, and most innovative workplaces Connecticut tech and tech-enabled businesses have to offer with the
Coolest Tech Workplace Award. Whether a startup that calls a tricked-out garage space home, or a titan who has invested in an innovation lab amid their old cubicles, the Coolest Tech Workplace is about the convergence of architecture, culture, technology, and creativity. Co-working locations, entrepreneurs who have transformed their spaces, and all others are invited to apply with a short 1-5 minute video or slideshow showcasing what makes their teach or tech-enabled workplace the best in the state. The Connecticut Technology Council will use the multi-media submissions in aggregate videos and promotions, demonstrating that Connecticut companies are on the cutting edge, not only in what they produce, but in the cultures and environments that do and should attract the best in talent nationwide. All submitting companies then also have a useful tool to use in talent retention and acquisition, marketing, and more. Applications for this award are due September 14. Information can be found here.
2018-19 mark the transition to a new and more ambitious Connecticut Technology Council as we enter our 25th year. We’re not just working toward the betterment and growth of the tech companies in Connecticut, but of the culture toward business in the state. We understand how vitally important it is for Connecticut’s talent to stay, thrive, and grow in state in the immediate and for years to come. Join us as we celebrate these milestones and the road ahead, at ConnectiTECH, at every win during the College Tech Challenges, and beyond. With a culture like the one we envision, Connecticut won’t just be in the top 3 for best public education, but leading in the tech industry, as well.
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