Connecticut’s cannabis industry is surging, according to an article in the Hartford Courant, reaching more than $5 million in adult-use sales in a single week this year. To meet the growing demand for skilled professionals, Southern Connecticut State University is stepping up with new workforce training programs.
Through its Office of Workforce and Lifelong Learning, Southern is now offering three non-credit, online certification courses in partnership with Green Flower, a national leader in cannabis education. The nine-week programs—covering cultivation, retail, and extraction/product development—aim to equip students with the technical knowledge, legal understanding, and ethical framework needed to succeed in the $45 billion industry.
“We have to be where the workforce is and meet them where they’re at,” said Amy Feest, senior director of the Office of Workforce and Lifelong Learning at Southern. “This is really meant for people who want to make a career of it.”
Since launching the partnership last October, more than 25 students have already earned certifications through the courses, which Feest notes are more rigorous and complex than they may appear at first glance. Participants include those entering the industry for the first time, professionals enhancing existing roles—like attorneys—and aspiring dispensary owners.
To read the full Hartford Courant article about Southern’s cannabis course offerings, visit: courant.com – A CT industry hit $5M in sales in a week this year. New classes aim to train people for jobs in it
