The bill directs the Office of Workforce Strategy to work in collaboration with a number of state agencies and the Connecticut Hospital Association to develop an initiative to address the state’s health care workforce shortage, including, but not limited to, behavioral and mental health care workers. The program shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. Expansion of existing health care related academic programs to promote increased enrollment and retention of students in such programs;
2. development of alternative academic programs that are designed to assimilate displaced workers and other individuals who seek to make a career change into the health care workforce;
3. recruitment and retention of underserved populations in the health care workforce;
4. development of distance learning initiatives for individuals who seek to enter the health care workforce; and
5. development of on-the-job training initiatives that are designed to provide valuable work experience to those receiving the training and assist in alleviating health care workforce shortages, particularly in areas of the state with underserved populations.

It also directs the Chief Workforce Officer to work with the Connecticut Hospital Association, professional nursing organizations and representatives of the nursing home industry, emergency medical service industry, and assisted living associations to develop a plan to work with high schools in the state in order to encourage students to pursue careers as nurses, medical assistants, emergency department technicians, surgical assistants, behavioral and mental health care workers and other high demand careers in health care.