Jobs For Connecticut Now

This week Jobs for New England Now posted three new blogs. The first, Mass. Council Aims to Develop State Through a “Growth Plan” in 2012, describes Governor Deval Patrick’s plan to boost the Massachusetts economy. The second, 2011 Was Quite a Year In Massachusetts, lists a few of the most interesting events that took place in the Massachusetts business world this year. The third, Massachusetts Projects Approved to Help Create and Retain Jobs, details the  14 projects that were approved for participation in the Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) last week .

Below is a brief list of news articles we posted this week:

Danbury Patch: State to Spur Job Growth: Reinvent Connecticut – The goal of the special jobs session was to create pro-business incentives to jump-start Connecticut’s economy. The state came up with options like giving companies tax credits of $500 per month for each new hire. That is up from $200. Another tax credit is $900 for each person hired who was either a veteran, unemployed or disabled.

The Boston Globe: Report Lists Steps to Make Massachusetts More Competitive - The Patrick administration released a 34-page economic development plan yesterday that proposes dozens of steps to help make the state more competitive, from reducing the cost of energy to beefing up training programs for workers.

Wicked Local Winchester: Poll: Massachusetts Residents Doubtful About Economic Future – Bay Staters are a cynical bunch, but for understandable reasons. A new survey of Massachusetts residents by the Siena Research Institute, underwritten by First Niagara Bank, found people are deeply doubtful about the economic future as they struggle to make ends meet. The survey is the first part of a larger study of economic confidence in Massachusetts and Connecticut, said the research institute, which is based out of Siena College in New York.

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According to the Boston Herald, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is looking to jump start economic development in his home state with his newly created Economic Development Planning Council.

The state-appointed council aims to develop our state through a “growth plan” which lays out at least 50 separate actions, from increasing access to science and technology-focused internships to working to lower health-care costs.

The most appealing part of this just-leaked plan includes the council picking, “three to five cutting-edge industries that business and government will work together on to promote in Massachusetts.” Technology is often recognized as one of the most innovative industries, and this initiative alone sounds like an incredible opportunity to increase jobs in the technology sector.

While this plan is just a blueprint, as mentioned above, it does not specifically say how the council plans to reach these goals. They plan to meet next year at this time to disclose what was accomplished, what wasn’t, what still needs to be done and what, if anything, went wrong. Jobs for New England Now hopes for the best for this initiative from the Governor, and looks forward to the results at this time next year.

According to a recent article in the Wicked Local, there were quite a few strange events that took place in the Massachusetts business world this year. James Bond esque press conferences to a woman’s wrath aimed at Steve Jobs, 2011 was quite a year indeed.

Take a minute and check out a few of the more bizarre stories from the article:

“Oddest press conference venue: Berkshire East, the former Thunder Mountain ski area in Charlemont, trumpeted two options for reporters to get to the unveiling of its new 900-kilowatt wind turbine. They could ride to the top of the mountain in a vehicle caravan – or ride the chairlift and then hop on a zip line to get to the windmill. I’m not sure when press conferences turned into James Bond movies, but I can’t say it’s necessarily a bad thing.”

“Most unexpected publicity booster: It’s rare when one of our corn mazes makes national news. But it’s also rare when someone needs to call 911 with a cellphone to get rescued from one. That’s exactly what happened in October, when a family entered the Connors Farm maze in Danvers and couldn’t find an exit as the sun started to set. The misadventure led to a seemingly endless stream of interviews for farm owner Bob Connor, who appeared on ‘Good Morning America’ and was quoted in newspapers as far away as California. The coverage continued after another couple called 911 for help with finding a way out of an apple orchard in Stow a week later.”

“Worst consequence from an iPhone glitch: Many people probably welcomed the extra sleep when a software snafu prevented iPhone alarms from ringing on New Year’s Day. Not Lindsay Garvey. The Somerville waitress publicly blamed her iPhone – and, in fact, Steve Jobs – after she was fired, purportedly for sleeping in after a long night’s work and not getting to her restaurant job on time Jan. 1. I can’t say if Jobs deserved Garvey’s wrath – he could be chuckling about it in heaven right now. But I can say that I hope we all have a smoother beginning to 2012 than Garvey faced at the start of 2011.”

Read the entire article.

Christmas came early for Massachusetts industry, as 14 projects were approved for participation in the Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) last week. The projects approved by the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council (EACC) will create over 719 new jobs and retain 2,912 existing ones. The expansion projects include Red Hat Incorporated, which serves global enterprises with technology and services. According to the Canton Patch, Red Hat will create 181 new jobs and retain 233 current jobs, with private investment totaling over $50 million.

Another company that stands to benefit from the program is Cell Signaling Technologies, a business established in Beverly, MA with over 370 employees worldwide. The Canton Patch reports that Cell Signaling expects to create 100 new jobs while retaining the 306 employees they currently have in Massachusetts.

In a press release from the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Secretary Greg Bialecki says the EDIP is designed to “attract significant private sector investment and spur economic activity throughout the Commonwealth.”  For a full list of approved projects, click here.