ReadyCT Executive Director Shannon Marimón issued the following statement on the October 2023 Dalio Education report: Connecticut’s Unspoken Crisis; Getting Young People Back on Track. 

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This week, Dalio Education released an alarming report: Connecticut’s Unspoken Crisis; Getting Young People Back on Track. The report contains extensive research on the state’s at-risk and disconnected young people.

A significant percentage of the student population served by ReadyCT falls into these categories.

While the data is striking – e.g., one in five young people in Connecticut are disconnected from education and employment systems or are at risk for becoming disconnected – the report offers potential solutions. Among other things, and aligned with ReadyCT’s focus, the report urges exploration of: (1) expansion of project-based learning and career pathway learning in our schools; (2) promising approaches to providing workforce readiness opportunities for at-risk and disconnected young people; and (3) best practices for job design to improve employee retention.

We encourage all stakeholders – inclusive of policy makers, state agencies, educators, business leaders, and community-based organizations – to analyze the report with a critical eye and consider where and how they can enter and advance a solutions-focused conversation. By doing so, we can ensure that all students have the opportunity to carve a path toward success in ways that strengthen individual, local, and state economies. 

ReadyCT welcomes these conversations, especially insofar as they inform the work we do on behalf of young people.