Testimony of President John Olsen before the Appropriations Committee

February 16, 2005

Good evening Senator Harp and Representative Merrill. My name is John Olsen and I am President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO representing 211,000 working men and women throughout the State of Connecticut.

I am here this evening to speak to you regarding the Office of Apprenticeship Training within the Department of Labor. This office is responsible for the registering of apprentices and programs, some of which are on the cutting edge. Programs such as daycare, healthcare and education provide training and skilled workers to businesses and organizations in Connecticut and are vital to the economic well-being of our state.

The Governor’s Budget has cut one of the nine positions in this Department which represents a sizable percent of the workforce. We ask that you restore funding for this position. Also, three years ago, apprentices and program sponsors recognized the fiscal problems of the state and agreed to a fee structure funded by both. I believe that it is only right to restore the funding for the position. The Office of Apprenticeship Training must have an adequate staff to promote and monitor these vital programs.